This Tuesday’s election marks the culmination of years of efforts by the Republican Party to attract people of color, with the party sharing among working-class blacks, whites, and Latino or Hispanic voters without a college degree. took advantage of the feelings of political disenfranchisement and abandonment. While diversifying their base was clearly the goal, Republicans turned “equity” into a dirty word and criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and “wokeism,” while Democrats focused on racial disparities and government reform. It has weakened the tools that have been used to address inequitable distribution. resource.
Meanwhile, the campaign trial used racially coded language that shocked some voters, who appreciated the racial metaphors or ignored them in the face of economic hardship. Voters who wanted to do so also rallied together. The public discussion featured racist tropes such as whether Haitian immigrants ate pets, whether immigrants were taking jobs from black people, and whether black-majority cities were a danger rather than an asset.
The defeated Democrats likely had a very narrow focus on the issues of black, Latino, and Hispanic voters, making them feel that the party’s platform addressed their concerns and that working-class people of all races had difficulty persuading voters. For example, in the weeks leading up to the election, Vice President Kamala Harris introduced an “Opportunity Agenda” specifically for Black men, which included “1 million fully acceptable opportunities for Black entrepreneurs and other entrepreneurs.” It also includes a proposal to provide financing. ” This was in the face of a series of lawsuits over blatant remedies for racial discrimination.
Adhering to this brand of identity politics, in which individuals of a particular religious, ethnic, or social background form exclusive political alliances, may be why the Democratic Party lost the race so thoroughly. .
In a social media post, author Thomas Chatterton Williams said, “So many Americans of all ethnicities, regions, and colors want Democrats to not only control policy, but also to greater impunity circa 2020. It is true that he was willing to pay a huge price for this.” Many of the very unpopular activist perspectives need to be taken seriously. ” And a New York Times article before the election said that identity politics had lost its influence since the aftermath of George Floyd.
However, it is clear that both political parties capitalized on identity politics and racism in the 2024 election, particularly non-racial identities such as education level. Because identity politics is central to our understanding of the electorate, the practice of identity politics in its various forms is not going away. So instead of avoiding this topic, considering the racial politics of the 2024 election will help move this country forward.
What should both sides consider going forward?
Through their votes, working-class voters expressed their pain at contradicting economists’ claims that the economy is doing well. Mr. Trump already enjoys an overwhelming approval rating among white voters (55% in 2024), as well as Latino or Hispanic voters (up from 35% in 2020 to 42% in 2024) and black voters ( (Increased from 8% in 2020 to 16% in 2024). 2024). Much of that profit came from people without college degrees. Among voters who have never attended college, support for Trump has increased since the last election, from 54% in 2020 to 62% in 2024.
People without college degrees are also constituencies. they have an identity. People of all races without college degrees (what we loosely refer to as the “working class”) are ostensibly feeling the pain. Factories that moved to other countries not only employed white Central American workers, but also black, Latino, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian American workers. These multiracial workers are affected by policies such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and share alternative identities as underemployed, unemployed, and bankrupt. Not treating them as a unified voting bloc misses the point. President Trump’s rhetoric has taken advantage of this multiracial community.
Discrimination is another source of distress, especially for Black, Latino, and Hispanic voters. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, blacks and Latinos, or Hispanics, face higher unemployment rates than whites. This is especially true for women. As of fall 2024, the unemployment rate for white women was 4%, compared to 6.2% for Black women and 5.9% for Latinx or Hispanic women. Research also shows discrimination in the justice system, with black, Latino or Hispanic, and Native American men having higher rates of arrest and incarceration for similar crimes than white men. And if they are arrested, they will be imprisoned for a longer period of time. Black men receive 13.4% longer sentences than white men, and Latino and Hispanic men receive 11.2% longer sentences than white men.
Democratic rhetoric often treats these policy issues solely as moral ones. But one of the most difficult challenges we face as a nation is how discrimination not only deprives certain groups of their gains in well-being, but also inhibits economic and social growth for all of us. is to understand. Stocks are not a zero-sum game, but Democratic and Republican rhetoric treats it as such. As the saying goes, the pie can grow by addressing inequalities across races and places.
The quality of our social, economic and political future is closely tied to how inclusive our neighborhoods, local economies and schools are and how they will become inclusive in the future. I’m doing it. If we are not careful to maximize the talents of all Americans, this country could easily slip back into recession. Recognizing discrimination is not divisive, it gives us an opportunity to grow as a society.
Voters and both parties must demand concrete policy solutions that make all Americans economically secure. Discrimination is not just hatred. It also often comes in the form of abandonment or neglect. Americans need and want a policy agenda that uplifts people of all races who have been denied the opportunity to gain economic security to improve their well-being. The voting behavior of working-class Latino, Hispanic, and black men shows that they understand this.
Fairness is not a dirty word to be avoided. On the contrary, it’s a quintessentially American concept. Fairness lies behind the supposed level playing field that is central to the American Dream. Our tax system’s ability-to-pay principle states that the tax burden borne by individuals should be proportionate to their wealth, and is based on grounds of fairness. In practical terms, this means that researchers and government officials must continue to collect data examining the distributive effects of policies in order to make necessary adjustments. Researchers are often guilty of ignoring capital issues in favor of macro measures of performance and growth. This is part of the reason why many economists downplay the role that prices play in a country’s economic performance, often overlooking how prices affect different groups differently.
Promoting fairness as divisive or anti-democratic is clearly a political tactic to distract us from the policies that our people want and need. Not addressing it is a form of neglect.
Democrats and Republicans must learn how to use equity as a centripetal force. This year’s presidential election is a referendum on ensuring an economy that improves the overall quality of life, not just for white people in rural Pennsylvania, but also for black, Latino, and Hispanic people in inner-city Philadelphia. It is.
Republicans may have won the election by a landslide, but they will be at a disadvantage if they fail to deliver on the economic security referendum set by working-class voters from all walks of life. Republicans will learn that avoiding the word “equity” won’t erase the pain of not being able to deliver on it. Just ask the Democrats.
