politics
Every politician says they're for the working man, so why are only 1% of elected officials from the working class?
Both major U.S. political parties regularly tout their commitment to working-class Americans and claim to be the party of the working class. However, neither the Democrats nor the Republicans nominate many candidates who spent substantial time in working-class jobs.
TL;DR
- Only about 1% of elected officials in the U.S. and other democracies come from working-class jobs, despite these jobs representing about half the labor force.
- This underrepresentation impacts policy, resulting in stingier safety nets and weaker worker protections.
- Working-class candidates are as qualified and interested in running as professionals, but they are significantly less likely to run due to the personal burdens of campaigning, such as taking time off work and financial instability.
- Party gatekeepers often overlook qualified working-class candidates, favoring white-collar professionals who are perceived to have an easier time on the campaign trail.
- Reforms like candidate training programs, political scholarships, and potentially quotas or citizen juries could help increase working-class representation.