Comments on: A Little Light Housekeeping http://blog.janehaddam.com/2009/02/15/a-little-light-housekeeping/ Jane Haddam’s WordPress weblog Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:18:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: cperkins http://blog.janehaddam.com/2009/02/15/a-little-light-housekeeping/comment-page-1/#comment-537 cperkins Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:41:07 +0000 http://blog.janehaddam.com/?p=368#comment-537 'Obviously it’s a generalization, but I find in the salaried classes, the source of income is a better predictor of politics than the amount.' This may be a US thing - admittedly, I'm generalizing on a fairly narrow sample, but the source of salary doesn't seem to have much to do with voting patterns. I've known as many people who spent a lifetime in public service who vote Conservative (and in one case, participated in campaigns) as I do people working in private industry who do the reverse. More, probably. As a data point of one which always struck me as a bit odd - my father left the US in the 50s as a Republican, and returned in the 70s to discover he'd become a Democrat. That must have been the Canadian influence, unless the parties shifted that much that fast (which is also possible). ‘Obviously it’s a generalization, but I find in the salaried classes, the source of income is a better predictor of politics than the amount.’

This may be a US thing – admittedly, I’m generalizing on a fairly narrow sample, but the source of salary doesn’t seem to have much to do with voting patterns. I’ve known as many people who spent a lifetime in public service who vote Conservative (and in one case, participated in campaigns) as I do people working in private industry who do the reverse. More, probably.

As a data point of one which always struck me as a bit odd – my father left the US in the 50s as a Republican, and returned in the 70s to discover he’d become a Democrat.

That must have been the Canadian influence, unless the parties shifted that much that fast (which is also possible).

]]> By: jd http://blog.janehaddam.com/2009/02/15/a-little-light-housekeeping/comment-page-1/#comment-536 jd Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:28:36 +0000 http://blog.janehaddam.com/?p=368#comment-536 On working class vs middle class, this article is interesting and amusing, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/jobs/15pre.html?8dpc On working class vs middle class, this article is interesting and amusing,

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/jobs/15pre.html?8dpc

]]> By: robert_piepenbrink http://blog.janehaddam.com/2009/02/15/a-little-light-housekeeping/comment-page-1/#comment-533 robert_piepenbrink Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:08:41 +0000 http://blog.janehaddam.com/?p=368#comment-533 I'd have said the distinction was not so much lower and upper middle class as state-funded middle class on the liberal side, backed up by most of the "artistic" community and the private-sector middle class on the conservative side, backed up by the "defense" community. This is going to be tricky to test in national polling since the state-fundeds are thicker on the ground in the high rent districts. The breakpoint between upper and lower middle class just isn't the same in Herndon VA as in Fort Wayne IN. Obviously it's a generalization, but I find in the salaried classes, the source of income is a better predictor of politics than the amount. As for expectations that with greater state funding will come greater state control, that seems quite reasonable. I have already been treated to that argument with smoking, helmet and seat belt laws and fatty foods: since the state will pick up the medical tab, it has the right to punish or forbid behavior leading to high medical expenses. Of course, the same logic would apply to various sexual practices but the same people don't seem to want to pursue that. I’d have said the distinction was not so much lower and upper middle class as state-funded middle class on the liberal side, backed up by most of the “artistic” community and the private-sector middle class on the conservative side, backed up by the “defense” community. This is going to be tricky to test in national polling since the state-fundeds are thicker on the ground in the high rent districts. The breakpoint between upper and lower middle class just isn’t the same in Herndon VA as in Fort Wayne IN.

Obviously it’s a generalization, but I find in the salaried classes, the source of income is a better predictor of politics than the amount.

As for expectations that with greater state funding will come greater state control, that seems quite reasonable. I have already been treated to that argument with smoking, helmet and seat belt laws and fatty foods: since the state will pick up the medical tab, it has the right to punish or forbid behavior leading to high medical expenses. Of course, the same logic would apply to various sexual practices but the same people don’t seem to want to pursue that.

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