Book · 2023 · Political Science
Rust Belt Union Blues
Why Working-Class Voters Are Turning Away from the Democratic Party
Rust Belt Union Blues by Lainey Newman and Theda Skocpol has been mentioned in 1 episode across 1 podcast (1 episode recommends it and 0 episodes discuss it), through . Most frequently brought up by Jared Abbott (1 episode) on The Ezra Klein Show (1 episode).
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So, one is, um, very similar to the point I was just making, this book by the Scotch Pole and and Laney Newman called Rust Belt Union Blues, which talks about the hollowing out of associational life and in the rust belt and the ways that's affected um, you know, the move to the right in those areas.
Why people recommend it
Rust Belt Union Blues by Lainey Newman and Theda Skocpol is a sociological study that investigates the hollowing out of community organizations and associational life across the American Rust Belt, examining how these economic and social shifts have fueled a political move toward the right in those regions. On an episode of The Ezra Klein Show released in October 2025 titled Can Economic Populism Save the Democratic Party?, guest Jared Abbott brought up the book to support an argument he was making about contemporary political realignment. Abbott recommended the text to the audience because it directly parallels his points regarding the decline of local institutions and labor solidarity, offering empirical insight into why working-class voters in former industrial strongholds have shifted their political allegiances. By weaving the core substance of the book into the podcast discussion, Abbott provided listeners with a concrete analytical resource for understanding the complex interplay between deindustrialization, civic decay, and modern electoral politics in America.
Every mention
Jared Abbott So, one is, um, very similar to the point I was just making, this book by the Scotch Pole and and Laney New… 1
“So, one is, um, very similar to the point I was just making, this book by the Scotch Pole and and Laney Newman called Rust Belt Union Blues, which talks about the hollowing out of associational life and in the rust belt and the ways that's affected um, you know, the move to the right in those areas.”