Thread by @MattGrossmann

Republicans & Democrats represent different interest group sectors & economic classes. We have organized elite competition, not oligarchy. But that still provides multiple paths for unequal public class influence

My latest with @wsisaac & Zuhaib Mahmood:
journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.108…

Republican leaders' positions on policy are more closely associated with the opinions of the upper class (top 10%) on economic policy. Democratic leaders' positions more closely match those of the middle class
#polisciresearch
journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.108…

Rep & Dem positions are more strongly & consistently associated with interest group positions across policy areas than with public classes. Reps & business groups are aligned; Dems & advocacy groups are aligned; Dems are negatively aligned with business, Reps with advocacy groups

Policy adoption is more likely with the support of Republican leaders, Democratic leaders, business interests, & advocacy groups. But even after accounting for all of that, the upper class public is more likely to get its way across economic, social, & (especially) foreign policy

Check out "Political Parties, Interest Groups, & Unequal Class Influence in American Policy"
journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.108…

& our updated Gilens data with party & group positions (& issue & ideology) matched to public class opinion on 1,863 proposals since 1981:
dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtml?…