Murphy Affiliated Scholar Featured in The Atlantic
Murphy Affiliated Scholar and Beacon Project at More in Common Founding Director Daniel Yudkin recently authored a piece for The Atlantic with More in Common Global Director of Research Stephen Hawkins. Yudkin's work uses insights from social psychology to understand and bridge political divides. His writing in The Atlantic is an extension of Murphy's mission to inform students and the general public on today's most relevant economic, moral, and political topics. Read an excerpt from the article below:
The Four Types of Trump Supporter
The president’s political power depends on his ability to play different roles for different parts of his coalition.
"The first year of Donald Trump’s second term has made two things clear. First, the MAGA coalition is not breaking up any time soon. Even after the especially chaotic events of the past few weeks, Trump supporters are sticking by their man. Second, faith in Trump’s leadership is not driven by his adherence to a coherent political ideology. Trump, who, as part of his “America First” policy, once declared that he would be “getting out of the nation-building business,” has now declared that the U.S. “will run the country” of Venezuela for the foreseeable future. An administration that promised to look out for the “working man” has handed billions of tax dollars back to America’s wealthiest households while stripping health care from the most vulnerable.
If ideological consistency can’t explain the enduring loyalty of Trump’s base, what does? A new study by More in Common, the nonprofit research organization where we work, finds that Trump’s coalition is not monolithic. It consists of four groups, each with a distinct profile and perspective. Trump’s political power depends on his ability to connect with these groups on different emotional and psychological grounds."
