Reassessing the Political Health of Low-Income Americans
Affluent Americans are far more likely to lead active political lives compared to those who belong to low-income and working class groups. However, studies of this topic often focus entirely on electoral politics. Yet voting is narrowly circumscribed. The volume of all other forms of political action is subject to much greater variation. Research that investigates the range of political behavior among low-income citizens is in short supply; the last comprehensive account was published about twenty years ago. A more up-to-date profile of political participation in low-income America is much needed. Moreover, researchers have been preoccupied with comparing engagement levels across social classes. Accordingly, what we know about low-income political activity is almost exclusively in the aggregate and in relation to more economically advantaged groups. There has been hardly any inquiry about participatory differences within the low-income population. This study addresses these limitations by considering the following questions: [a] What are the engagement levels of low-income Americans in different forms of political activity, and [b] which demographic, cognitive, and behavioral factors are associated with different levels of low-income political activity?
Methods
The study involved secondary data analysis of the 2006 Civic and Political Health Survey (CPHS), which was conducted by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Leadership and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University with funding from the Pew Charitable Trusts. The CPHS features a nationally representative sample--including 665 low-income respondents--as well as 13 core measures of political activities.
Factor analysis differentiated between "institutional" political participation (e.g., voting, and donating to a campaign or party) and "activist" political participation (e.g., attending protests, boycotting, signing petitions, etc.). Descriptive statistics revealed low-income respondent engagement levels in the various political behaviors. Cross tabulations and multivariate analyses were conducted to establish and clarify relationships between the core political participation measures and variables on sample demographics, attitudes about government, media consumption, political knowledge, and social capital.
Results
Not even half of the low-income sample reported that they were registered to vote and just over a third indicated that they go to the polls on a regular basis. A scant 5.7% and 3.6% donated money and time respectively to either a political candidate or party. In terms of activist participation, better than a third of the sample practiced political consumer action, and just under a third had signed petitions. Remarkably, nearly a quarter had participated in a protest demonstration. Educational attainment, social capital possession, political knowledge, and beliefs about government were the most robust predictors of political engagement in its many forms.
Implications
In some agency settings, it may be appropriate to register clients to vote. Staff could be trained to do so and agencies could conduct registration drives during election seasons. Formal training materials and programs need to be developed, implemented, and evaluated by social work practitioners in order to promote acquisition of civic skills and political knowledge among marginalized clients and communities.