In the United States today, which political party represents the working class? The question has prompted so much debate and political posturing in recent years that it can be easy to lose sight of its novelty. For much of the 20th century after Franklin Roosevelt cemented the New Deal coalition, it was understood that Democrats represented blue-collar Americans, while Republicans were the party of privilege. For a guest essay today, the reporter Brody Mullins charts how this organizing principle of American politics started to break down. In three striking visualizations of household income data, he shows how the Democratic electorate has become more well-to-do over the past two decades. “The class alignment of the two parties has flipped,” he writes. “Americans who live in wealthier parts of the country and earn above-average incomes now mostly vote for Democrats, while Americans who make less money and live in poorer areas now mostly vote for Republicans.” With the federal government’s shutdown shining a spotlight on President Trump’s economically regressive agenda, Mullins believes that Democrats have an opportunity to reclaim their place as the party of the working class. The first step, in his view, would be for Democrats to take a more combative posture toward the country’s economic elite, who now make up an important part of the Democratic coalition. It would be an awkward breakup, but the electoral math leaves them little choice. “If Democrats don’t reverse course,” he writes, “they may soon find themselves unable to win presidential elections.” Here’s what we’re focusing on today:
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