Redistribution between people and places: Conflict or consensus among rural and working-class voters?

Abstract Scholarship has often examined the views of rural and working-class voters separately. In this article, I propose that we gain a broader understanding of the political potential of left-behind voters by comparing these voter groups. Drawing on three survey experiments, I investigate these voters’ views on deservingness and redistribution. The findings show that both rural and working-class voters are more likely to believe that cities and the people living there receive a disproportionate share of public resources. Furthermore, they favor rural people and working people equally as recipients of government resources. Both groups are supportive of redistribution, particularly along class lines. The article highlights a consensus among these voters, implying a potential for parties to mobilize these voter groups around a redistributive program that addresses place and class-based disparities.