Economic-Based Voting Blocs

Economic-based voting blocs are groups of people who share common economic interests based on their position in the economy. For these groups to become “voting blocs,” political parties must distinguish themselves in their economic policy positions, and a party must appeal to the interests of the group. When this happens, scholars study whether the economic bloc is in fact more likely to vote for the party representing the interests of the group than for other parties. When this occurs, the economic group becomes a voting bloc.

In the United States and other democracies, these blocs can be composed of people identifying with certain social classes, professions, and types of wealth. In postcommunist democracies, scholars have observed distinct voting patterns among people who were financially successful in ...