What's The Matter With Kansas?
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!
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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 DismissedThe White Working Class and the Democratic PartyIt’s time to bust the myth: Most Trump voters were not working class.How the diploma divide came to dominate American politicsThe &aposDiploma Divide&apos: Does It Exist for Racial and Ethnic Minorities?Blind Retrospection: Why Shark Attacks Are Bad For DemocracyNationally poor, locally rich: Income and local context in the 2016 presidential electionDemocracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive GovernmentIdentity Crisis: The 2016 Presidential Campaign and the Battle for the Meaning of AmericaPolitical Landscapes of Donald TrumpThe White Working Class and the 2016 ElectionPartisanship by family income, home ownership, union membership and veteran statusThe Elites Had It ComingWhat Explains Educational Realignment Among White Americans?Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
