Fact Check: Working-class voters can experience economic hardship from government policies.

Published July 1, 2025
VERDICT
True

# Fact Check: "Working-class voters can experience economic hardship from government policies." ## What We Know The claim that working-class voters c...

Fact Check: "Working-class voters can experience economic hardship from government policies."

What We Know

The claim that working-class voters can experience economic hardship from government policies is supported by various studies and reports. For instance, a report from the Levy Economics Institute highlights how government policies, particularly those that lack a clear vision for progressive economic reforms, can lead to a decline in support from working-class voters. The report emphasizes that issues such as raising minimum wages, paid leave, and protecting public education are critical for improving the lives of working-class families.

Additionally, Nicholas Carnes in his book, White-Collar Government, argues that the socioeconomic backgrounds of legislators significantly influence their policy decisions, often skewing them in favor of wealthier constituents. This lack of representation for working-class interests can exacerbate economic hardships for these voters.

Moreover, an analysis by the Center for Economic and Policy Research discusses the rise in material hardship among working-class individuals, linking it to insufficient government support and policies that do not address their needs.

Analysis

The evidence supporting the claim is robust, as it draws from credible sources that analyze the intersection of government policy and economic hardship among working-class voters. The Levy Economics Institute provides a comprehensive overview of how the Democratic Party has lost touch with its traditional working-class base, suggesting that the absence of effective economic policies has led to increased economic struggles for these voters.

Carnes' work in White-Collar Government is particularly relevant as it underscores the disconnect between policymakers and the working class. His findings indicate that when policymakers predominantly come from wealthier backgrounds, the resulting policies tend to favor the interests of the affluent, leaving working-class voters vulnerable to economic hardships.

Furthermore, the Center for Economic and Policy Research highlights the tangible effects of inadequate government support on working-class families, reinforcing the idea that government policies can indeed lead to economic difficulties for this demographic.

While the sources cited are credible and provide a well-rounded view of the issue, it is essential to note that they may carry some inherent biases based on their institutional affiliations and the political contexts in which they operate. However, the consistency of their findings across multiple studies lends significant weight to the claim.

Conclusion

The claim that working-class voters can experience economic hardship from government policies is True. The evidence presented from multiple credible sources illustrates how government actions and the socioeconomic backgrounds of policymakers can lead to adverse economic outcomes for working-class individuals. The lack of representation and focus on their specific needs in policy-making processes further exacerbates their economic challenges.

Sources

  1. Pocketbook Issues Such as Raising Minimum Wages, Paid Leave, and ...
  2. White-Collar Government: The Hidden Role of Class in Economic Policy ...
  3. PDF Turnout and Economic The Importance of Protecting Voting Rights for Voter
  4. Democrats Are Getting Richer. It's Not Helping.
  5. How many friends can you play with in co-op? :: Ready or Not …
  6. The Rise in Material Hardship Among Working-Class Whites and How It ...
  7. How many players can be in the multiplayer lobby? :: Ready or Not ...
  8. How many total team members? :: Ready or Not General Discussion

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Miller isn’t concerned about the state of New York “society.” What bothers him is the idea of nonwhite people having political power. Bessent isn’t really deeply worried about Zamdani’s economic ideas. But he feels free, maybe even obliged, to slander a foreign-born Muslim with language he would never use about a white Christian politician, even if that politician were (like some of his colleagues in the Trump administration) a total crackpot. And while Tuberville stands out even within his caucus as an ignorant fool, his willingness to use dehumanizing language about millions of people shows that raw racism is rapidly becoming mainstream in American politics. Remember, during the campaign both Trump and JD Vance amplified the slanders about Haitians eating pets. And now that they’re in office, you can see the resurgence of raw racism all across Trump administration policies, large and small. You can see it, for example, in the cuts at the National Institutes of Health, which are so tilted against racial minorities that a federal judge — one appointed by Ronald Reagan! — declared I’ve never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable. I’ve sat on this bench now for 40 years. I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this. You can see it in the renaming of military bases after Confederate generals — that is, traitors who fought for slavery. You can even see it in a change in the military’s shaving policy that is clearly custom-designed to drive Black men — who account for around a quarter of the Army’s new recruits — out of the service. So racism and bigotry are back, big time. Who’s safe? Nobody. Are you a legal immigrant? Well, the Supreme Court just allowed Trump to summarily strip half a million U.S. residents of that status, and only a fool would imagine that this is the end of the story. 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Detailed fact-check analysis of: Paul Krugman Paul Krugman We’re All Rats Now Time to take a stand, again, against racism Paul Krugman Jun 30, 2025 Zohran Mamdani’s upset victory in New York’s Democratic primary has created panic in MAGAland. Stephen Miller, the architect of Donald Trump’s deportation policies, waxed apocalyptic: Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, declared that New York is about to turn into “Caracas on the Hudson.” And Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama basically declared New York’s voters subhuman, saying: These inner-city rats, they live off the federal government. And that’s one reason we’re $37 trillion in debt. And it’s time we find these rats and we send them back home, that are living off the American taxpayers that are working very hard every week to pay taxes. These reactions are vile, and they’re also dishonest. Whatever these men may claim, it’s all about bigotry. Miller isn’t concerned about the state of New York “society.” What bothers him is the idea of nonwhite people having political power. Bessent isn’t really deeply worried about Zamdani’s economic ideas. But he feels free, maybe even obliged, to slander a foreign-born Muslim with language he would never use about a white Christian politician, even if that politician were (like some of his colleagues in the Trump administration) a total crackpot. And while Tuberville stands out even within his caucus as an ignorant fool, his willingness to use dehumanizing language about millions of people shows that raw racism is rapidly becoming mainstream in American politics. Remember, during the campaign both Trump and JD Vance amplified the slanders about Haitians eating pets. And now that they’re in office, you can see the resurgence of raw racism all across Trump administration policies, large and small. 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Are there really people out there naïve enough to believe MAGA’s claims to be against antisemitism, who can’t see the transparent cynicism and dishonesty? The fact is that the Trump administration already contains a number of figures with strong ties to antisemitic extremists. The Great Replacement Theory, which has de facto become part of MAGA’s ideology, doesn’t just say that there’s a conspiracy to replace whites with people of color; it says that it’s a Jewish conspiracy. So I’m definitely scared of what the many antisemites inside or with close ties to the Trump administration may eventually do. And no, I’m not frightened at all by the prospect that New York may soon have a somewhat leftist Muslim mayor. Anyway, my personal fears are beside the point. Everyone who cares about keeping America America needs to take a stand against the resurgence of bigotry. Because the truth is that we’re all rats now. 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Fact Check: Working-class voters can experience economic hardship from government policies. | TruthOrFake Blog