Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress Action Fund released a new issue brief that examines the views of working-class Californians on economic policies. The authors find that working-class Californians—who, for the purpose of this issue brief, are defined as members of the labor force without college degrees—are supportive of policies to raise the minimum wage; raise taxes on the wealthy; and increase spending on health care, education, and transportation and infrastructure. The issue brief also contains similar data for the other 49 states and the District of Columbia. Across the country, and even in red states, there are only a handful of instances in which working-class Americans did not support these progressive economic policies.
“Working-class voters have immense power to influence elections, yet they are little understood by many political commentators. Since 2016, the pervasive narrative has been that working-class voters are disaffected, white, and conservative,” said David Madland, a senior fellow and the senior adviser to the American Worker Project at CAP Action. “The reality is that the working class is racially and ethnically diverse, and regardless of ethnic background, workers across the nation support progressive economic policies.”
Topline findings for California include:
- 77 percent of working-class Californians support raising the minimum wage.
- 68 percent of working-class Californians support raising taxes on the wealthy.
- 67 percent of working-class Californians would like the Legislature to spend more money on health care.
- 69 percent of working-class Californians would like the Legislature to spend more money on education.
- 64 percent of working-class Californians would like the Legislature to spend more money on transportation and infrastructure.
View the data and read the issue brief: “Working-Class Americans in All States Support Progressive Economic Policies” by David Madland and Malkie Wall
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Julia Cusick at [email protected] or 202-495-3682.