Introduction

people in a crowd with American flags and raised fists

In a time when wealthy authoritarians are dismantling U.S. democratic institutions, the survival of our democracy depends on political participation from the rest of us. Yet, low-income and working-class perspectives are too often missing from democratic processes in the U.S. Lower-income people and those without college degrees vote at significantly lower rates than Americans with higher incomes and more education; people of color are also less likely to vote than White people. These problems have worsened over the last few election cycles.

When substantial sections of potential voters are disconnected from politics, both the legitimacy and the representativeness of political decisions – and democracy itself – are threatened. If we want to (re)build a healthier and more meaningful democracy, we will need buy-in and participation from people across the social spectrum, in all racial groups and social classes.

Increasing voting among working-class and low-income people requires understanding what politics looks like from their perspectives, and listening to their views about the politicians and policies that affect their lives. Thus, our team of racially- and class-diverse researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 232 Pennsylvanians – in all major racial groups – who earn less than $45,000/year and/or do not have a college degree. In this report, we focus on those who are not regular voters – 144 of our respondents. Drawing from those interviews, this report explains why many low-income and working-class people choose not to vote.

We also provide recommendations for civic organizations, advocacy groups, party organizations, campaigns, and candidates who want our democracy to truly represent all its citizens, or who care about the concerns of low-income and working-class people. These recommendations for increasing electoral political participation among the working class are based on listening to what our interviewees told us, as well as previously published research.

People we talked with want to feel represented by their elected officials. Interviewees are concerned about being good citizens and good members of their communities, but feel those in politics ignore their experiences and background. Many pointed to the persistence of poverty, violence, or unemployment in their communities as evidence that electoral politics cannot make meaningful improvements in their lives. Fundamentally, our respondents described a deep sense of disconnection from politics.

When we asked participants what they thought might help themselves or others like them to become more politically engaged, the suggestions we heard were rarely about making voting access easier. Instead, people want to feel listened to and valued by political leaders. They want to see tangible changes in the quality of their lives and the issues affecting their communities. Getting these disengaged low-income and working-class people to the voting booth will require real, sustained connections with their communities.

Methodology & Interview Pool
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