Rust Belt Union Blues: Why Working-Class Voters Are Turning Away from the Democratic Party

In the heyday of American labor, the influence of local unions extended far beyond the workplace. Unions were embedded in tight-knit communities, touching nearly every aspect of the lives of members and their families and neighbors. They conveyed fundamental worldviews, making blue-collar unionists into loyal Democrats who saw the party as on the side of the working man. Today, unions play a much less significant role in American life.



Lainey Newman and Theda Skocpol provide timely insight i...