Overview

• The CWCP and Jacobin report analyzes 128 survey questions across six decades to show that working-class Americans overwhelmingly support economic populist measures such as a higher minimum wage, Medicare expansion and a millionaire tax.
• The analysis reveals about 80% of working-class voters oppose outlawing abortion, back LGBTQ discrimination protections and favor stricter gun controls.
• Roughly one in five working-class Trump voters back key progressive economic policies, with about 11% combining those views with moderate social stances that could sway close races.
• High turnout at Bernie Sanders’s Fighting Oligarchy tour and Zohran Mamdani’s New York City primary upset illustrate the grassroots energy behind economic populism.
• Party insiders and affluent donors have resisted fully adopting these populist strategies, leaving the Democratic establishment divided as it plans for the 2026 midterms.