Democrats’ Path to Reconnecting with the Working Class
“Harris Walz Philadelphia” by Jared Polin is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Democrats have long been thought of as the party of the working class, but the results of the 2024 presidential election indicate a clear shift in this dynamic. The presidential election brought a decisive victory for the Republican Party, forcing Democrats to reflect on the current state of their party. One important facet of Donald Trump’s victory was his delivery of the working-class vote. Exit polls show that working-class voters split 56% for Trump to 42% for Harris. This result was startling to many Democrats, who have, for decades, claimed to be the party that represents the average, working-class American citizen, pointing to the Republicans as a party of elitists who fail to understand the experience of everyday Americans. In the 2012 presidential election, for example, “just 35 percent of those in the lowest income bracket voted for Romney, while 63 percent voted for Democrat.”
To move forward in winning back the working class, it is essential that Democrats understand how Donald Trump was able to persuade these voters. Trump’s political rhetoric may have been the tool most effective at garnering the support of the working class. This is puzzling on its surface, considering Trump does not seem like someone who would be relatable to the working class: he comes from a wealthy family, went to an Ivy League University, and was the star of his own reality television show. However, when examining his political rhetoric more closely, his appeal to the working class becomes clearer. Jonathan Smucker describes Trump’s rhetoric, saying, “When Trump punches down at vulnerable groups of people, he presents himself as punching up at condescending cultural elites–the kind of elites strongly associated with the Democratic Party.” Trump has found a way to label the Democratic Party as the party of the out-of-touch elites while branding himself as someone who not only recognizes what Americans are going through but is just as frustrated with these elites as they are. Trump’s ability to frame himself as an “outsider” that does not see himself in this world of political elites allows him to connect with the average American in ways that the other side struggled to compete with.
When analyzing this race, it is important to look at the behavior of both parties. One issue that has been seemingly challenging for Democrats historically is the economy. Bernie Sanders famously stated following the election that “it should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working-class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.” Much of Sanders' argument for this assertion comes from a criticism of Democratic economic policy. Sanders notes the lack of legislation to raise the minimum wage, for example, as a failure of the party. In many ways Democrats have struggled to appeal to working-class voters since the 1990s, when under Clinton the party embraced economic globalization, leading to economic gains for some, but also left large parts of the country behind economically. While the Biden administration made an effort to connect with the working class, such as placing restrictions on corporations and increasing funds to uphold workers’ rights, it is clear that many Americans felt abandoned by their government. Like many nations around the world struggling to recover from the COVID pandemic, the U.S. suffered from inflation during much of the Biden administration. Although the U.S. dealt with these challenges more effectively than many other high-income nations, public perception of the economy remained negative throughout Biden’s presidency.
In addition to economic policy, it is necessary to analyze our current political culture. Republicans have long used divisive cultural issues to make working-class Americans feel threatened by social change, leading them to vote against their economic interests. In the 2024 race, like most elections, there were many polarizing issues that were difficult to navigate, namely abortion rights, trans rights, and the right to firearms, among others. For many of these issues, the two parties took up radically different sides, with many Americans feeling unable or unwilling to converse with those of the other viewpoint. This polarization is where the Democrats had their greatest failure. Democratic Representative Greg Casar articulates this point well, saying,
“The Democratic Party has to make sure, both in message and in substance, that whether you agree with us on every issue or not, you're welcome to be in the party. We have to have a tent big enough that includes people across geography, across race and across ideological views… We can stand strong for our values but realize that politics is a game of addition, not a subtraction.”
This may be part of the reason why average working-class citizens end up feeling so out of touch with the party. While it may be that many Democrats feel strongly about their viewpoints and even feel offended by the views of those that disagree with them–particularly with issues as contentious as abortion and trans rights–they must change their approach to these discussions. Politics requires coalition building and compromise. The Democratic Party will continue to lose crucial voters if they refuse to engage in discussion. This should not mean that Democrats should abandon their values on social issues. However, they must approach debates in a way that does not immediately alienate those who have opposing views if they wish to progress politically and maintain any hope of changing the minds of those they fundamentally disagree with.
This leads to the question of what can be done. What can Democrats do to reconnect with the working class and distance themselves from this narrative which paints them as unrelatable elites? The first step is to attempt to reconstruct this one-minded attitude the party has formed. Many Democrats, myself included, came out of this election feeling blindsided. I remember my peers and I grappling with the outcome of the election in our political discussions, asking ourselves, “How could this happen?” Yet, the real question we should have been asking ourselves is “how did we have no idea this was going to happen?” The answer to this question is not found in inaccurate polling or the difficulty that always comes with trying to gauge the views of the American people. The answer comes from the fact that Democrats shut down opposing views or critiques of their party’s administration, many of which came from the working class, to such a degree that the working class felt unwelcome. An example being the party’s inability to effectively engage in discussion with the many Americans who were struggling financially and felt they were not being supported by their economic policies. While Democrats were perceived as out-of-touch defenders of the status quo, the Republican Party pushed an anti-elitist, unorthodox candidate that spoke to the average American’s confusion and frustration, convincing them that he could serve as a champion for their fight against the system.
Democrats must force themselves to listen and attempt to understand the views of others. This does not necessarily mean they must agree with others, but they must take a moment to slow down and empathize with these views. It is easy to feel trapped in an echo chamber of those who share our political opinions and come from similar backgrounds. However, the Democratic Party must develop a political strategy that acknowledges that many Americans come from different backgrounds, leading them to have different views. This is especially true for the working class, as they were disproportionately hurt by recent economic struggles, particularly coming out of the COVID pandemic. If we are unable to at least listen to the views of Americans that are hurting, the Democratic Party will continue to be successfully labeled as a party of political elites.
The outcome of the presidential election signified a clear realignment in the voting behavior of the working class. The working class seemingly felt abandoned by the Democratic Party and understood by Republicans. This realignment will present an obstacle to Democrats as they move forward if they do not make the necessary changes. The major change that Democrats need to make is a change in culture. Democrats must create a culture of understanding and promote greater discussion with those they disagree with if they wish to leave their echo chamber and connect with the working-class voters who no longer see themselves represented by the party.