The Future of Class Analyses in American Politics
Title
The Future of Class Analyses in American Politics
Author
Stonecash, Jeffrey M.
Research Area
Class, Status and Power
Topic
Social Stratification
Abstract
Although the role of class has been extensively studied, this essay suggests several important matters that have been neglected and deserve more attention. The focus on occupational positions limits our understanding of the possible role of class. We need to devote more attention to household income and its impact on opportunity. We need to ask people about their aspirations and sense of fairness in American society and how that affects class voting. The presumption that class divisions have been reduced by racial and cultural issues has been embraced too quickly and needs more careful analyses. The use of nationally aggregated individual‐level surveys is limiting because it neglects how the distribution of classes across legislative districts and their representation through that matters for the emergence of class issues. Finally, the focus on multivariate analyses may satisfy academic notions of rigor but it removes analyses from having relevance for politicians.