The state of labor in the Democratic Party coalition

Bucci, Laura C.; Reuning, Kevin

doi:10.1177/1354068820949372

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Unions, though disadvantaged by the lack of a dedicated labour party, have sought partners within the two-party system. Unions maintain a close alliance with the Democratic Party (Dark 1999; Rosenfeld 2014; Jansa and Hoyman 2018), although there is some variation in this relationship at the state level as some Democratic parties may align themselves more with business-oriented interests (Bucci and Reuning n.d.).…”

Section: Labour Policy Adoptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who passes restrictive labour policy? A view from the States

Bucci

Jansa

2020

J. Pub. Pol.

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What leads states to adopt more restrictive labour policies? The conventional wisdom is that unified Republican states, with help from conservative political networks, are more likely to adopt restrictions on labour unions. We argue that party control of government matters but is constrained by voter preferences and the power of organised labour. We create new estimates of state-level public support for unions by income thirds using dynamic multilevel regression and poststratification. Using this measure, we predict the adoption of restrictive labour policies, such as right-to-work and minimum wage preemption laws. We find that Republican governments are less likely to adopt restrictive policies when unions are strong and when union support among middle- and low-income earners is high. Interestingly, these results run contrary to much of the literature on the unequal representation of the wealthy in public policy.

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Section: Labour Policy Adoptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who passes restrictive labour policy? A view from the States

Bucci

Jansa

2020

J. Pub. Pol.

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“…State parties may be more or less amenable to the goals of organized labor, need less convincing, or could be pushed into supporting larger projects. My coauthor and I find that labor contributions to state Democratic parties can increase their influence, but a similar sized business contribution loses labor political influence twice as fast (Bucci and Reuning n.d.). The ability to influence legislation at the state level may set the conditions under which people find it easier or more difficult to participate in politics.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Civic Engagement in Decline: Deunionization and a Fifty State Solution?

Bucci

2019

Labor Studies Journal

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Labor union membership in the United States is lower than in other advanced industrialized democracies, and continues to decline, hitting around 10 percent of the workforce nationally in 2019. National unionization rates obscure important differences across industry, sector, and geography. To better understand the pathways for the future of the labor movement, or to diagnose and describe successes and missteps, structured comparisons matter. This issue of Labor Studies Journal focuses on the role unions play in civic engagement, and what declining membership means for the health of American democracy. At a time when many perceive America as in an ongoing political crisis, what role does deunionization and civic decline play? Where my essay fits into the larger issue is to argue that our understanding of union decline and civic disengagement should address differences that exist at the state level. As union membership declines, it does so unequally across states, meaning that any strategy to engage the public needs to meet individuals in different places. The strength of present-day unions and historical power, ease of unionizing, influence within legislatures, public acceptance, and familiarity with what unions do, all differ from state to state. Yet states are nested within a common national frame, making comparison easier. In this essay, I encourage scholars of labor politics to address a meso-level of political analysis, the politics of labor decline in the states. Political differences across states are especially important in light of increased labor policies in state legislatures and increased labor unrest in state capitals. Overall, literature in political science and labor studies is clear that unions enable political participation. Stronger unions encourage more political activity among members, are able to increase community and legislative engagement, and shift the composition of legislatures. In places with more union members, the electorate shifts to be more economically, racially, and educationally diverse. Expanding who is involved in politics leads to policies that are beneficial to more people. People participate because they receive information from their union (when and where to vote, descriptions of

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