Kathmandu— A significant divide exists between how progressive messages are received by liberal, college-educated voters and working-class individuals lacking a college degree, but a recent report suggests this gap can be bridged. Researchers Joan C. Williams and Jared Abbott of the Equality Action Center have released findings outlining a pragmatic approach to appeal to working-class voters, potentially blocking a common tactic employed by conservatives: framing themselves as populist champions while turning the working class against progressive policies focused on systemic injustices.

Understanding the Priorities Gap

The report highlights that many working-class citizens feel college-educated voters prioritize issues distant from their daily struggles to afford basic necessities like food, housing, and healthcare. While wage earners are not inherently opposed to social or environmental causes, they consistently rank economic and personal security as top priorities. A survey revealed a 40-point difference between college-educated liberals and working-class voters on the importance of “defending democracy,” which ranked second for the former but nineteenth for the latter.

Affordability and Economic Precarity

The study breaks down the concept of “affordability” into its component parts, revealing a divergence in focus. College-educated voters tend to concentrate on consumer costs, while working-class individuals prioritize predistributive factors like job security, wages, housing, and healthcare access. This difference stems from the fact that working-class families often lack financial buffers such as credit lines or investment portfolios, making them acutely sensitive to economic instability.

Personal Security Concerns

The largest gaps in priorities were found on issues of personal security, with working-class respondents favoring increased border security, lower crime rates, and more police presence. This reflects the reality that these communities often face higher levels of danger and precarity compared to their college-educated counterparts, as evidenced by disparities in safety between cities like Ypsilanti versus Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

Bridging the Divide on Wedge Issues

While issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, climate change, and abortion rights are prioritized by college-educated voters, they are not necessarily opposed by the working class. However, these topics are often perceived as less immediate than economic concerns like rent payments or medical bills. Williams and Abbott identify strategies to find common ground on these “wedge issues” and counter right-wing attempts to exploit divisions.

Messaging for Coalition Building

The researchers provide specific messaging examples that can significantly boost working-class support for progressive causes, including universal childcare (a nearly 28-point increase in support), climate action (nearly 24 points), and inclusive policies like allowing transgender girls to participate in sports teams (23 points). They demonstrate that building coalitions around issues such as immigrant safety is not only possible but also easily communicable, even in the face of opposition.

The report emphasizes the need for progressives to move beyond their own echo chambers and recognize differing priorities, suggesting that assuming consensus can be detrimental to building solidarity with working-class voters.

(With inputs from Jacobin)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.