Why are there so few working-class people in political office? Evidence from state legislatures

Abstract

Why do so few working-class Americans go on to hold political office? This paper uses data on state legislatures to assess several common (and often untested) explanations. Contrary to the widespread view that workers are less likely to hold office because they are less qualified, I find no relationship between the qualifications of workers in a given state and their representation in the state legislature. The shortage of the working class in office appears to have far more to do with structural characteristics of the political landscape such as parties, interest groups, and institutions. Scholars who want to understand why there are so few working-class Americans in political office – and people who want to do something about it – should probably focus on these kinds of “demand-side” forces, not on the supposed “supply-side” shortcomings of the working class.

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