Wisconsin Research Handout (2020)

Racial resentment, wrapped in faux economic populism, has long proven critical to enticing white voters in the Midwest and beyond. Meanwhile people of color, young people and many women are blocked from the political process and left feeling like outsiders by narratives that stay silent on fundamental human rights or downgrade them to special interests. 

In response, organizations in MI, MN, MO, OH, PA and WI came together to apply and extend the original Race Class Narrative (RCN) project, in order to uncover effective ways of persuading the middle and mobilizing a justifiably disenchanted base with a narrative rooted in race, class and gender tailored to each particular state context. This brief outlines key insights and messaging recommendations for Michigan based on research done there and with demographic oversamples across states.