AARP, 18, 20–22, 46, 77, 94, 104, 120–121, 145, 218, 222–225
abortion, 3, 12, 64, 78, 166, 182, 186, 276n11
ACORN. See Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
Affordable Care Act. See Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
AFL-CIO, 89, 219–222. See also labor unions
Alliance for Retired Americans, 20, 120, 145, 218, 221–223
Amenta, Edwin, 196
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACSCAN), 133–148, 230–232, 236–239
American Civil Liberties Union, 94–95
American insecurity. See economic insecurity
American National Election Study, 63–80, 162–184, 266n102, 275n7, 277n26; coding of variables, 249–251
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), 8–9, 13, 22, 30, 32
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), 199–203
Bartels, Larry M., 103, 257n72
Baucus, Max, 88
Baumgartner, Frank, 12, 88, 105
Berry, Jeffrey M., 12, 88, 93, 96, 104–105, 268n44, 269n68
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, 99
Bradburn, Norman M., 140
Brady, Henry E., 39, 83, 85, 119, 226, 277n26
Bush, George W., 60, 104, 175, 185, 257n72
Campaign Communication Study, 185–188, 268n51
campaign finance law, 99–101, 269n57
Campbell, Andrea Louise, 218, 265n98
citizen groups: defined, 91; characteristics of, 91–92, 267n40, 268n44; consequences of political activities of, 104–106, 268n54; grassroots activity and, 95–98; growth of, 88; internet-based, 94–95, 268n43; mobilization around economic insecurity issues and, 5–9, 119, 121–122, 217–226; organizational changes over time in, 11, 94; representational attributes of, 93
Citizens United v. FEC, 101
Cloward, Richard, 200–201, 269n63
collective action: attitudinal barriers to, 10–14, 193; communicative barriers to, 14–19, 24, 31, 107–116, 276n16; organizational barriers to, 10–14, 193; resource-based barriers to, 10–14, 30–31, 193. See also self-undermining rhetoric
college costs. See economic insecurity; education costs
compensation. See earnings
Concord Coalition, 94, 222, 224
conservatives, 92, 175, 180, 275n9
defined-benefit pensions. See retirement insecurity
defined-contribution pensions. See retirement insecurity
Democracy for America (DFA), 7–8, 13, 22, 30, 32
de Tocqueville, Alexis, 82
DeVoe, Sanford E., 112, 271n12
Displaced Workers Survey, 39–40
donating money to political organizations, 95–96, 98–102; evidence from presidential-year campaigns, 171–184; experiments on, 122–154; as response to a request, 108; self-undermining rhetoric and, 108–116
earnings, 36–38; gender inequality and, 38; racial inequality and, 38
economic inequality. See income inequality
economic insecurity: behavioral consequences of, 107–116, 127–129, 131–132, 137–143, 144–147, 153, 171–184; defined, 2; examples of, 1–2, 29–31; examples of mobilization on, 4–9, 194–203; gender differences and concerns about, 52–53; gender differences and experiences with, 38, 42–43, 86; as important issue, 56–61, 125–126, 134–135; objective data on, 39–48; organizations that might mobilize individuals around issues of, 82–102; outside the United States, 211; policy preferences on, 22–24, 189–192; prospects for policy change and, 203–207; relationship between importance of and personal experiences with, 66–80; self-undermining rhetoric and, 14–22; solicitations mentioning, 184–188; subjective perceptions of, 2–3, 49–53; why these issues are disadvantaged relative to other broad-based issues, 15–19, 112–115
Economic Security Index (ESI), 48–49
education costs: behavioral consequences of, 122–132, 171–184; data on, 47–48; example of mobilization on, 6–7; as important political issue, 63–69, 78–80, 164–168; policy preferences on, 23–24; subjective perceptions of, 49–53. See also economic insecurity
electoral campaigns: mobilization on economic insecurity issues during, 171–188; small donations and, 98–101; volunteering and, 101–102
elite framing. See issue framing
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), 206–207
Enns, Peter, 257n72
Enron, 46
Environmental Defense Fund, 94
environmentalism, 3, 16, 75, 94, 122, 123–126, 129–130, 148–149, 166
Europe, experiences with economic insecurity, 210–211
experiments on spending money, 122–129, 133–143, 152–154; coding of variables, 251–252; protocol, 233–242
experiments on spending time, 130–132, 143–147; coding of variables, 251–252; protocol, 233–242
Fabrigar, Leandre R., 70, 169–171, 253n5, 263n83
Farber, Henry S., 42, 259n15, 260n21, 263n88
Federal Election Campaign Act, 99
Feldman, Stanley, 263n79
financial threat. See economic insecurity
framing. See issue framing
Gallup polls, 56–61. See also “most important problem” question
Geer, John, 55
gender inequality, 38, 42–43, 52–53, 104, 130; and labor unions, 86. See also women’s organizations
Gilens, Martin, 103–104, 225–226, 269n65
globalization, 38
Goss, Kristin A., 15
government: desire for action by, 22–24; desire for programs, 189–192. See also policy preferences
Gray Panthers, 20, 120, 121, 218–219, 221–223
Great Depression, 194–199, 205, 211
Great Recession, 2, 6, 27, 38, 40–42, 48, 50–51, 59, 259n15
Grossmann, Matt, 6, 217–218, 254n14
Hacker, Jacob, 9, 26, 48, 62, 87–88, 279n1
Hansen, John Mark, 178, 277n26
health care costs: behavioral consequences of, 133–147, 171–184; data on, 43–45; examples of mobilization on, 4–6; gender differences and, 43; as important political issue, 58–59, 63–69, 74–75, 164–168; policy preferences on, 23–24, 28; subjective perceptions of, 49–53. See also economic insecurity; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Health Care for America Now (HCAN), 4–6, 13, 22, 30, 32, 88–89, 95, 97, 139, 260n32
health insurance, 4–6, 24, 39, 41–47, 50–52, 59, 62, 86–88, 114–115, 135–148, 152, 161, 165, 182, 190, 196, 205, 221, 248, 259n13, 260n32, 261n41, 274n35, 274n37. See also economic insecurity; health care costs; Health Care for America Now; Medicare; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; retirement insecurity
higher education costs. See economic insecurity; education costs
Human Rights Campaign, 94
income. See earnings
income inequality, 36–38; compared with economic insecurity, 27–28; relationship to democratic influence, 26, 29, 99, 101–104
interest groups: broader political impact of, 102–106; Washington, D.C. community, 6, 12, 83, 85, 119–122, 217–226. See also citizen groups
involuntary job loss. See job insecurity
issue framing, distinction between self-undermining rhetoric and, 19–20, 114–115, 154–159, 211
issue importance: as compared with other motivations for political participation, 22, 83, 204; data on, 53–66, 162–168; measurement and conceptualization of, 53–56, 168–171; personal circumstances and, 66–80, 276n11; relationship between political action and, 3, 12, 112–115, 122–154, 171–184. See also retrospective thinkaloud questions
issue preferences. See policy preferences
Ithaca Health Alliance, 152–154
Jacobs, Lawrence R., 23–24, 260n27, 260n32
Javits, Jacob K., 207
job insecurity: behavioral consequences of, 171–184; data on, 39–42; examples of mobilization on, 7–9, 197–199; gender differences and, 42; as important political issue, 57–58, 63–69, 72–74, 164–168; policy preferences on, 23–24; racial differences and, 42; subjective perceptions of, 49–53. See also economic insecurity
job loss. See job insecurity
Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, 50–51
Kalleberg, Arne L., 40, 260n22
Karpf, David, 273n26
Kelly, Nathan, 257n72
Kenworthy, Lane, 28
Kimball, David C., 12, 88, 105
Kollman, Ken, 284n75
Krosnick, Jon A., 70, 169–171, 253n5, 263n83
labor force status: impact on willingness to spend time, 131–132, 144–147, 172–184, 194–203; self-undermining rhetoric and, 17–19, 22, 112–115
labor market earnings. See earnings
labor unions, 38, 85–90, 276n11
lobbying. See citizen groups; interest groups
material benefits, 22, 83, 204
McAdam, Douglas, 12
Medicare: distinction between other economic insecurity issues and, 149–151; examples of mobilization on, 20–21, 120–121, 205, 225; history of, 20–21. See also issue importance; retirement insecurity
Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act, 120–121, 205, 225
middle class, 1, 5, 6–8, 26, 38–39, 51, 67–68, 75–77, 79, 103–104, 119, 136, 138–139, 141, 143–146, 148–149, 153–154, 166, 206, 225–226, 232, 258, 269n63
Miller, Joanne, 70, 169–171, 253n5, 263n83
mobilization of individuals: broader political significance of, 102–106, 112–115, 203–211; education costs and, 6–7, 122–132; experiments investigating, 122–154; health care costs and, 4–6, 133–154; job insecurity and, 7–9, 197–199; non-economic insecurity issues and, 15–19, 112–115; participation requests and, 108, 184–188; previous examples of organizations engaged in, 4–9, 194–203; previously-examined barriers to, 10–14; retirement insecurity and, 20–22, 120–121, 180, 186, 205, 217–218, 222–225; role of organizations and, 12–13, 82–102, 217–226; self-undermining rhetoric and, 14–19, 108–116, 193–194; survey evidence investigating, 162–184 “most important problem” question, 53–80, 162–184, 189–192
Moveon.org, 6–7, 13, 22, 30, 32, 95–96, 121
National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), 78
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), 92, 221, 223
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, 20, 120–121, 218, 222–224
National Council of Senior Citizens. See Alliance for Retired Americans
National Right to Life Committee, 95
National Welfare Rights Organization (NWRO), 199–201, 203
New Deal, 8, 85, 87, 194–199, 206
Obama, Barack, 4–7, 29, 44, 47, 100, 102, 155–156, 176, 181, 206
Obamacare. See Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
objective resources, comparison with subjective perceptions of affordability, 17, 30–31, 107–108, 140–143, 145, 198–199
participation requests, 108, 184–188
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 5, 43–45, 47, 253n8
pensions, 37, 39, 41–42, 45–46, 59–61, 87, 194–197, 206–207, 279n4. See also retirement insecurity
Pew Research Center, 41
Pierson, Paul, 26
Piketty, Thomas, 259n6, 259n7, 275n4
Piven, Frances Fox, 200–201, 269n63
policy preferences: economic insecurity issues and, 22–24, 189–192
political action committees (PACs), 89, 96, 99. See also Super PACs
political communication. See issue framing; self-undermining rhetoric
political participation: common explanations of, 10–12; how self-undermining rhetoric challenges conventional wisdom of, 14–20, 107–116; issue importance and, 3, 12, 112–115, 122–154, 171–184
political parties, 10, 11, 25, 98–102, 118, 119, 122, 163, 171–188, 269n57
political representation, 3, 19–22, 26–27, 81–106, 189–192, 203–211
political voice, 18, 19, 84–106, 161–162, 189, 225
Proposition 13 (California, 1978), 62, 257n79
public opinion, 22–24, 49–80, 189–192. See also surveys
purposive benefits, 12, 83, 94
racial inequality, 42, 86, 92, 130, 218, 221, 223
representation. See political representation
retirement insecurity: behavioral consequences of concern about, 171–184; data on, 45–47; examples of mobilization on, 20–22, 120–121, 180, 186, 205, 217–218, 222–225; as important political issue, 59–61, 63–69, 75–78, 164–168; policy preferences on, 23–24, 28; subjective perceptions of, 49–53. See also economic insecurity; Medicare; pensions; Social Security
retrospective thinkaloud questions, 140–143, 145
Rockefeller Foundation, 51–53, 68
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, 91, 195–197, 206
Rosenstone, Steven J., 178, 277n26
Rothenberg, Lawrence, 106
Saez, Emmanuel, 259n6, 259n7, 275n4
Schattschneider, E. E., 84
Schlozman, Kay Lehman, 39, 83, 85, 97, 119, 198–199, 218, 226, 277n26
Schumpeter, Joseph, 36
Schwarz, Norbert, 140
selective benefits, 12, 83, 199–204
self-undermining rhetoric: broader political significance of, 102–106, 112–115, 203–211; defined, 14; effect on decisions to donate money or time to politics, 108–116, 122–154, 171–184, 193–194; and effect on subjective perceptions of affordability, 14–19, 31, 107–116, 140–143, 145, 198–199, 273n21, 276n16; examples of, 14–16, 208–211. See also collective action: communicative barriers to
senior citizens, mobilization of, 20–22, 120–121, 180, 186, 205, 217–218, 222–225
Sierra Club, 75, 92, 94, 95, 225
Simmons, J. P., 253n5, 263n83, 169
Skocpol, Theda, 82, 90–91, 260n27, 260n32, 267n32, 268n44
small donors. See donating money to political organizations
Smith, Mark, 98
Social Security: Americans’ preferences on, 23–24, 28, 104, 182; data on, 37, 46; distinction between other economic insecurity issues and, 149–151; examples of mobilization on, 20–22, 120–121, 180, 186, 205, 217–218, 222–225; proposed or actual changes to, 61, 77, 87, 104, 120, 265n99. See also issue importance; retirement insecurity
SpeechNOW v. FEC, 115
spending time on politics, 96–97, 101–102; evidence from presidential-year campaigns, 171–184; experiments on, 122–154; as response to a request, 108; self-undermining rhetoric and, 108–116
student loan debt. See education costs
subjective perceptions of affordability, as compared with objective resources, 17, 31, 107–115, 140–143, 145, 198–199, 273n21, 276n16
Sudman, Seymour, 140
Super PACs, 101
Survey of Economic Risk Perceptions and Insecurity (SERPI), 50
surveys: coding of variables, 249–252; experiments embedded in, 133–147; issue importance assessed in, 49–80, 168–171; political participation analyzed using, 133–147, 171–184; protocol for experiments embedded in, 236–239; public opinion analyzed using, 49–80, 189–192
Taft-Hartley Act, 87
Thaler, Richard, 109
Tierney, John T., 97
Tyagi, Amelia Warren, 257n77, 266n102
underemployment. See economic insecurity; job insecurity
unemployed workers movement, 197–199
unemployment. See economic insecurity; job insecurity
unions. See labor unions
Verba, Sidney, 39, 83, 85, 119, 198, 199, 226, 277n26
Visser, Penny S., 169, 253n5, 263n83
voluntary membership federations, 90–91
volunteering. See spending time on politics
Wagner Act, 86
Warren, Elizabeth, 257n77, 266n102
Washington Information Directory, 133, 217–226
Weldon, S. Laurel, 104, 267n39
Wilson, James Q., 3
women’s organizations, 20, 90, 93, 95, 96, 104, 218–220, 222–224, 267n39
Zaller, John, 263n79