The narrative goes something like this: Trump supporters are a bunch of profoundly unhappy bigots, ill-educated country bumpkins left behind by the forces of globalization, plagued by job insecurity, battered down by inequality, worried sick about their future, consumed by resentment of the liberal elites and racist to the core. Or something like that.
I’m sure there’s some truth to this narrative – but “some’ is one of those elastic words whose meaning stretches from more than nothing to less than a lot. In other words, vague to the point of meaningless. More important to me is whether this portrait of Trump supporters is substantially true. Is the evidence is consistent and robust?
First, let’s look at 2016 election map:
One thing that strikes me is the margin of victory in the counties that went for Trump – at least 20% for the vast majority. In other words, Trump dominated in the counties he won. So if Trump supporters are economically stressed, it’s reasonable to expect unfavorable economic indicators in the areas where they dominate.
Next: Employment, Job Security and Work Satisfaction in Trump Country
Election Map accessed on 11/17/16 from: http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2016/11/daily-chart-7