Unions, Voter Turnout, and Class Bias in the U.S. Electorate, 1964–2004
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20765619 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jan E Leighley, Jan Leighley (0000-0002-8330-9921, University of Arizona), Jonathan Nagler (0000-0001-6918-9428, New York University) |
| Year | 2007 |
| Volume | 69 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 430-441 |
| Publication date | 2007-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-3816 • E-ISSN: 1468-2508 |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1468-2508.2007.00541.x |
| OpenAlex | W2106562050 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 104 |
| References cited | 26 |
This paper uses individual level data to examine the impact of unions on turnout and assesses the consequences of dramatic changes in union strength and in the composition of union membership since 1964 for the composition of the U.S. electorate. We first estimate individual-level models to test for the distinct effects of union membership and union strength on the probabilities of members and non-members voting, and then test whether the effect of individual union membership and overall union strength varies across income levels. We find that unions increase turnout of both members and non-members. By simulating what turnout would be were union membership at its 1964 level, we show that the decline in union membership since 1964 has affected the aggregate turnout of both low- and middle-income individuals more than the aggregate turnout of high-income individuals. However, while class bias has increased as a consequence of the decline, the change is surprisingly small
Demographic economics · Economics · Labour economics · Political science · Politics · Test (biology) · Turnout · Voting · Labor Movements and Unions · Law · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies
Unions, Voter Turnout, and Class Bias in the U.S. Electorate, 1964–2004
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Cross-level inference
Unions, Voter Turnout, and Class Bias in the U.S. Electorate, 1964–2004
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Voice and Equality
Union Membership and Coverage Database from the Current Population Survey
Union Membership and Coverage Files from the Current Population Surveys
Individual and Systemic Influences on Turnout
Does "Motor Voter" Work? Evidence from State-Level Data
Group Membership and the Mobilization of Political Participation
Introduction
Who Votes by Mail
Organized Labor in the Electorate, 1960-1988
The Effects of Eligibility Restrictions and Party Activity on Absentee Voting and Overall Turnout
Participation Rates, Socioeconomic Class Biases, and Congressional Elections
Scobit
Making the Most of Statistical Analyses
Labor Organization and Electoral Participation in Industrial Democracies
Ecological Correlations and the Behavior of Individuals
Political Parties and Electoral Mobilization
The Myth of the Vanishing Voter
Socioeconomic Class Bias in Turnout, 1964-1988
American Voter Turnout in Comparative Perspective
| Unique citing works | 104 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 5,47 |
| Citation span | 2007 - 2026 (20) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | Yes |
| Citation types | Neutral: 103 |