When Liberals Lost Their Connection To The Working Class

I recorded this interview in 1989 for my television series on the 1960s, Making Sense Of The Sixties. The speaker is Jack Beatty, a veteran political commentator–journalist, author, senior editor at the Atlantic and one of the hosts on NPR On Point. In American politics, a liberal is someone who believes in the use of government to bring about social change, ensure equal opportunity, protect civil liberties and address social injustices. Liberals support social equality and progressive social policies and believe that government regulation is necessary in certain areas of the economy to ensure fairness and protect consumers and the environment. Key issues for liberals often include supporting a strong social safety net (including programs like Social Security, Medicaid and food assistance programs), labor rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, gender equality, action on climate change and a more progressive tax system. Since the 1960s the liberal movement in the United States as gone through a number of changes. The 1970s and 1980s: During this period, the country as a whole moved to the right politically, culminating in the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. The Democratic Party faced internal divisions and many Southern Democrats shifted to the Republican Party. The 1990s: The Democratic Party began to move toward the center under the leadership of Bill Clinton who described himself as a “New Democrat.“ He offered a more centrist approach that embraced aspects of economic liberalism (such as free trade and fiscal conservatism) while still supporting progressive social policies. The 2000s and 2010s: Liberals increasingly embraced issues like LGBTQ rights and climate change. The influence of more progressive and left-leaning members of the Democratic Party also grew, exemplified by figures like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and movements like the “Fight for $15“ minimum wage campaign and Medicare for All. The 2010s saw the rise of the “progressive“ wing of the party, which advocates for policies further to the left than traditional liberalism. Post-2016: Following the election of Donald Trump in 2016, there was a resurgence of more liberal and progressive activism within the Democratic Party, such as the election of several members of “The Squad“ - a group of progressive women of color elected to the House of Representatives in 2018. The perception that the Democratic Party, often associated with liberal politics, has lost touch with working-class Americans is a complex issue that can be attributed to a number of factors over time. Shifts began in the late 1960s and 1970s when Democrats started to focus more on social issues and civil rights, which some working-class voters didn’t always see as being in line with their interests. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Democratic Party moved towards a more centrist approach, embracing aspects of economic liberalism, such as deregulation and free trade. Policies like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), signed into law by President Clinton in 1993 were seen by many working-class voters as contributing to job losses in manufacturing and other industries. This added to the perception that Democrats were not looking out for the interests of the working class. Also some working-class voters, particularly white working-class voters, feel that Democrats have become too focused on “identity politics“ (focusing on the rights of specific groups such as women, minorities, and LGBTQ individuals) and have neglected broader economic issues. The increasing urban-rural divide in American politics has played a role in these perceptions. In recent elections Democrats tend to do well in urban and suburban areas which are often more diverse and have a different set of concerns than rural areas. Many working-class voters live in rural areas or smaller post-industrial towns and feel that Democrats, who are often associated with big cities, are out of touch with their lives and concerns. If you are interested in learning more about this subject, I suggest searching the following terms. Political strategy. Political action committee. Political rewind. 2024 Senate races. Political advocacy. Senate majority pac. Political campaign. Debate politics. Political parties.