theatlantic | The white working class depends on government assistance more than
the population as a whole, yet its members heavily favor smaller
government and lower taxes -- and they strongly believe that the poor
are too dependent on government programs.
Nearly half of the white working class (46 percent) reported receiving
Social Security or disability benefits in the poll, versus 38 percent of
the overall population; they were also slightly more likely to receive
food stamps and unemployment benefits than the general population. Six
in 10 white working-class voters said the federal government should cut
back on services and reduce taxes. And three-fourths agreed with the
idea that "poor people have become too dependent on government
assistance programs." If Romney is able to get past his "47 percent"
comments, this may be why: Even those who frequently depend on
government strongly dislike the idea of dependency and entitlement.
The white working class has often been depicted as the backbone of the
Tea Party, angered by what they perceive as Obama's socialistic policies
and, in the president's own memorable phrase, "clinging to guns or religion." But the poll knocks down some of these myths:
* They're not the Tea Party: Only about 13 percent of
white working-class voters consider themselves part of the Tea Party,
and 34 percent say they share its values. Among college-educated whites,
the numbers are about the same -- 10 percent and 31 percent,
respectively.
* They're not unusually religious: About half (48
percent) go to church at least once a month, and 60 percent say religion
is important to them. That's about the same as the general population.
The white working class is more heavily evangelical, however -- 36
percent describe themselves as evangelicals, versus 21 percent of the
overall population.
* They're not culture warriors: On the wedge issues of
abortion and same-sex marriage, white working-class voters are pretty
evenly divided. They favor abortion being legal in all or most cases, 50
percent to 45 percent, and oppose allowing gays to marry, 50 percent to
43 percent. Less than 5 percent of these voters said abortion or gay
marriage was the most important issue, as opposed to 53 percent who
cited the economy.
* They want to tax the rich: Contra Joe the Plumber,
these voters aren't opposed to spreading the wealth around. "In fact,
white working-class Americans display a strong strain of economic
populism," the report states: 70 percent of them believe the economic
system unfairly favors the wealthy, and 62 percent want to raise taxes
on incomes over $1 million. And there's a clear reason both candidates
have accused each other of favoring outsourcing: 78 percent of white
working-class voters blame corporations moving jobs overseas for
America's economic woes.
