Politics and the American Working Class (Zoom)
Spring (4-8 hours) | Available (Membership Required)
A product of industrial capitalism, the working class has been the terrain on which political battles have been fought for nearly 200 years. In the U.S., the labor movement and socialists were its primary political champions until FDR’s election in 1932, when Democrats assumed that role. Yet today, working class voters increasingly lean Republican. What accounts for the working class’s political conversion? Economic forces? Cultural changes? Issues related to race and status anxiety? Did changes in the political parties themselves lead to this reversal?
This course explores the history and changing identity of the working class, and examines the long-term prospects of Democrats and Republicans for winning its support. No prior working-class experience is necessary.
This course will combine lecture with class discussions.
Robert Grafstein
Robert Grafstein is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia, where he also served as associate dean and interim dean. He received his BA from the University of Pennsylvania and his PhD from the University of Chicago. Specializing in political economy, he is the author of two books, co-editor of one, and author of numerous articles in leading political science journals. He has taught numerous OLLI courses at UGA.