The Pew Research Center [1] conducted a poll on how political preferences change with financial security. The results showed that, contrary to popular belief, financially insecure Americans (i.e., “the poor”) are no more likely to support Democrats than their wealthier counterparts (despite the survey’s headline).
In fact, among the most secure and the least secure Americans, Democrats win 42% support; for the folks in between, the differences are minimal (range: 39%-43%). For Republicans, it’s a different story: 49% at the “top”, with only 17% at the “bottom.” Again, though, less well-off voters aren’t going to the Democrats, but rather to third-party options or none-of-the-above (the survey also found that well-off Americans are much more likely to vote).
Pew also polled on issues, and this is where the GOP can make some headway. Among other things, 49% of the least well-off Americans believed “Government is almost always wasteful and inefficient,” and 43% believe “Government regulation of business usually does more harm than good.” Yet only 17% voted for the party that purports to reflect those beliefs.
Now, it would certainly be helpful if the GOP were more consistent with these beliefs, but I think there is also something else at work here. With the constant focus on the middle class for votes and the wealthy for campaign donations, no major party seems interested in the poor anymore. More specifically, Republican politicians (especially in Virginia) only seem to notice the poor when they want to tax them [2] more [3].
Perhaps if the party showed poor voters how it will stop the government from hurting them [4], it could win over those who don’t support any party, or get more who already support the GOP to actually vote Republican…
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