Deindustrialization and Political Realignment in the United States

Why Have Workers Turned to the Right?

Abstract

This book review offers a critical analysis of the work "Rust Belt Union Blues: Why Working-Class Voters Are Turning Away from the Democratic Party" by Lainey Newman and Theda Skocpol. The research explores the breakdown of the historic alliance between the working class, the labor movement, and the Democratic Party, a prominent relationship from the mid-20th century until the 1980s. The authors argue that deindustrialization and the consequent erosion of union power have played crucial roles in reconfiguring these political affiliations. Thus, the book examines the underlying socioeconomic factors that influence the shift in political loyalty among Pennsylvania workers, highlighting how structural transformations have affected the social and political ties of this population.