Your textbook offers this statement: “If you were to tell me your age, educational background, class, race, and gender, I would be able to predict who you are going to vote for with considerable accuracy.” Justify this statement by discussing how

Question

party affiliation is related to these characteristics, using examples from American politics.

Please provide the best answer for the statement.

Answer 1

1. Class—Poor, working-class, lower-middle-class, and blue-collar trade unionists tend to be Democrats, while wealthy, upper-middle-class, white-collar individuals tend to be Republicans. In the 2008 election, Republican McCain beat Democrat Obama in high-earning households, though he did lose to Obama in the highest-earning households.
2. Education—Historically, people with lower education levels voted Democratic, because education correlated heavily with class. However, more recently, the class division among education levels has shifted, and the more highly educated are more likely to vote Democratic. In the 2008 election, Obama beat McCain at every education level, especially the highest and lowest, although in 2016, Trump did draw most of his support from lower-educated white men.
3. Race—Most racial and ethnic minorities have been Democratic since the 1930s, although the percent was declining as more minorities became affluent and professional. However, in the 2008 election, minorities overwhelmingly voted for Obama. Whites were the only group voting for McCain over Obama. In 2016, although over half of white voters voted for Trump, Clinton drew fewer minority voters than Obama had.
4. Gender—Women are more likely than men to vote Democratic, but the percentages have been declining. Women were more likely to vote for Obama than McCain, with women of color overwhelmingly supporting Obama. Only white women preferred McCain. In 2016, Trump matched McCain’s share of white women’s support, while only 43 percent of white women voted for Clinton, a smaller share than had supported Obama.
5. Age—Younger voters tend to vote Democratic rather than Republican. In 2008, only older voters over 65 preferred McCain; all other age groups and most minorities were more likely to vote for Obama. In 2016, however, more younger people voted for Trump than Clinton.