Occupation and Voting Behavior

ONE OF THE easiest ways to classify voters is by occupation. A person's occupation will normally not change much during their lifetime. (Unlike changing jobs, which are often in the same occupation.) A voter's occupation will also determine their income level and lifestyle. General classifications are blue collar and white collar. Blue-collar work is normally defined as an occupation requiring manual labor, while white-collar occupations do not require manual labor. These classifications are easy to determine and have been used to create generalizations about both groups and about how they will vote and what types of candidates they will support. This assumes that the voter identifies with these groups. Researchers have shown that upward of one quarter of voters categorize themselves incorrectly. It is often supposed that blue-collar workers are Democrats and that white-collar workers are Republicans. While always the case, there is a tendency for this to be true.

Also important to a voter is unemployment, both past and future—nothing gets a voter's attention like an issue that will affect their ability to make a living. Unemployment tends to increase voters' desire to have the government guarantee jobs for workers. This increased desire is more pronounced among blue-collar workers, but exists in both groups. Anxiety over unemployment is not limited to voters who have lost a job, or are in danger of losing a job, but can also affect those living in a region burdened with unemployment. In an area that has suffered from job losses, the issue tends to remain important to voters for years after the crisis has passed. These voters tend to be supportive of government intervention to ensure full employment. When comparing blue-collar and white-collar workers, researchers have determined that blue-collar workers, as a group, are more supportive of government intervention than white-collar employees. However, as unemployment rises, both groups tend to be more supportive of government intervention in the economy to reduce unemployment.