About this episode
In 2004, historian Thomas Frank proposed a theory about the rightward drift of the white working class. Was he a prescient king whose work presaged the rise of Trump — or a bumbling fool with a broken thesis? Unfortunately it turns out he is a secret third thing that takes one hour and six minutes to explain. Special thanks to Julia Valdés for her help with this episode! Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: The Thesis That Drove American Politics Crazy: The Emerging Democratic Majority What’s the Matter with What’s the Matter with Kansas? Class is Dismissed The White Working Class and the Democratic Party It’s time to bust the myth: Most Trump voters were not working class. How the diploma divide came to dominate American politics The 'Diploma Divide': Does It Exist for Racial and Ethnic Minorities? Blind Retrospection: Why Shark Attacks Are Bad For Democracy Nationally poor, locally rich: Income and local context in the 2016 presidential election Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government Identity Crisis: The 2016 Presidential Campaign and the Battle for the Meaning of America Political Landscapes of Donald Trump The White Working Class and the 2016 Election Partisanship by family income, home ownership, union membership and veteran status The Elites Had It Coming What Explains Educational Realignment Among White Americans? Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!