Saturday, August 20, 2016

How Economic Anxieties Explain Donald Trump’s Appeal—And Where They Fall Short

Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images
A new Gallup analysis based on 87,000 interviews shows his supporters don’t face ‘abnormally high economic stress’
A new analysis finds supporters of Donald Trump can be identified more easily by measures of racial isolation and cultural anxiety than by measures of personal economic well-being.
The analysis, unlike some others, finds little evidence that the Republican presidential candidate has received stronger support in regions with greater exposure to trade competition and immigration. It also shows his appeal among supporters is more complicated than simple economic gauges and extends more broadly to fears their children will enjoy less opportunity than they did.
GETTY IMAGES
The study, conducted by Jonathan Rothwell, a senior economist at Gallup, is based on 87,000 interviews collected over the last year. It looks at how attitudes towards Mr. Trump’s supporters and nonsupporters change between individuals in different local economies.
The study has received a lot of attention because of how it’s been characterized by different media outlets. At Vox, Matthew Yglesias says the study shows that economic anxiety doesn’t explain any of Mr. Trump’s support, and Slate agrees. Others say this oversimplifies the relatively nuanced conclusion of the paper, including at New York magazine and Mother Jones.
Here are four notable findings:
Read the rest of the story HERE.

If you like what you see, please "Like" us on Facebook either here or here. Please follow us on Twitter here.


No comments: