Matt Polacko
@mattpolacko.bsky.social
430 followers 460 following 17 posts
Postdoctoral Researcher @ University of Calgary | Politics of Inequality | mattpolacko.com
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mattpolacko.bsky.social
🚨New Publication🚨

Using the entire #Canadian Election Study (1965–2021), I examine voter turnout by class, education, & income over time & test whether the offerings of political parties impact these relationships.

Available #OpenAccess in @cjps-rcsp.bsky.social
#polisky

doi.org/10.1017/S000...
Reposted by Matt Polacko
jamesbreckwoldt.bsky.social
Support/opposition to economic growth, technological change, innovation etc. is related to your class position.

Those who have most benefitted from change in the past are the most supportive.

Those who have most lost out from recent change (skilled manual workers) are the least supportive

👇👇👇
jamesbreckwoldt.bsky.social
Best predictor is a person’s occupation.

People in most elite jobs much more likely to hold pro-growth views

Skilled manual workers (rather than semi-skilled or unskilled) are the most anti-growth.

This relates to how exposed these jobs have been to automation in the past
Reposted by Matt Polacko
simonhix.bsky.social
An excellent (although deeply depressing) piece by Thomas Edsall, with some great interviews with top US political scientists.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o...
Opinion | Trump Is Not Afraid of Civil War. Neither Is Stephen Miller.
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Matt Polacko
premnsikka.bsky.social
It would take the average UK earner 52 years’ worth of earnings to join the richest 10%.

Up from 38 years in 2006-08. Rich buy political influence.

Govts help the rich. Bottom 20% pay higher proportion of income in than the richest 20%.

Inequalities obstruct economic growth, fuel social unrest.
Lifetime of earnings not enough for UK workers to join wealthiest 10%, report says
Research finds it would take average worker saving all their earnings for 52 years to match wealth of richest 10th of society
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Matt Polacko
heimbergecon.bsky.social
In a new paper, we provide fresh evidence on the macroeconomic effects of public investment in 27 EU member states. We find that public investment has favorable effects on output and unemployment; doesn't crowd out private investment; and doesn't jeopardise debt sustainability.
Reposted by Matt Polacko
canadianpolling.bsky.social
Those who agree - "If the US offered all Canadians full US citizenship and a full conversion of the Canadian dollar/personal assets into US dollars, I would vote to become part of the US"

🟢 All: 16%

🟢 Boomers: 6%
🟢 Zoomers: 24%

Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/canadian...
Canadians Firmly Reject Idea of American Statehood
Support for American statehood remains low across all age groups, even in more conservative provinces like Alberta
open.substack.com
Reposted by Matt Polacko
prospect.org
Centrist Democrats have again decided the path to victory is to tack to the right. But their compulsive moderation “reinforces the perception that the Democratic Party stands for nothing.” @dylangyauchl.bsky.social with @revolvingdoor.bsky.social: trib.al/ocSBbuw
Centrist Democrats Have Already Forgotten About Kamala Harris
Pivoting to the right didn't work in 2024. It won't work now.
trib.al
Reposted by Matt Polacko
goodauth.bsky.social
Depressed people are more likely to support Donald Trump.

New research shows a connection between mental health and political attitudes.

See the data here: goodauthority.org/news/depress...
Depressed people are more likely to support Donald Trump.
New research shows a connection between mental health and political attitudes.
goodauthority.org
Reposted by Matt Polacko
inequality.org
Economic populism can win back Rust Belt voters, but Democrats face an uphill battle to shake negative associations with the party, according to new polling and analysis from the Center for Working-Class Politics. inequality.org/article/can-...
Can Democrats Win Back Rust Belt Voters?
New research from the Center for Working-Class Politics shows that economic populists are popular, but the Democratic label is a drag.
inequality.org
Reposted by Matt Polacko
jonathanhopkin.bsky.social
The mainstream of British politics is now advocating policies that are beyond the wildest dreams of the BNP of just two decades ago
jdportes.bsky.social
David is slightly unfair. There is a clear difference here.

Conservatives and Reform plan to forcibly expel large numbers of people who are legal, permanent residents of migrant origin. The BNP proposal is voluntary.
davidherdson.bsky.social
This below is from the 2005 BNP manifesto.

Spot the difference with current Tory and Reform policy.

(p14 news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp... )
Reposted by Matt Polacko
heimbergecon.bsky.social
I fear that the decline of reading will have disastrous societal consequences.
Reposted by Matt Polacko
gilesyb.bsky.social
"Polarisation may be an unhelpful term .... It implies that both sides are becoming equally extreme. Arguably the real dynamic is that elements of the right have hardened, embracing positions that would have been unacceptable a decade ago" on.ft.com/46TGRHs by @henrymance.ft.com 1/
How polarised is Britain?
Behind media perceptions of a sharpening political divide is a more complicated picture
on.ft.com
Reposted by Matt Polacko
philbc3.bsky.social
The problem is the Tories stopped being a centre right party in 2019, and there's little sign of any dynamics that can move it back in that direction.
robfordmancs.bsky.social
Hard agree - there are very vivid examples of why the disappearance of a functioning centre right option in a system which props up the two largest parties every single day, when the news reports on the Trump administration.
stephenkb.bsky.social
It's fascinating how there are still replies on this, and indeed on every post about the decline of the Tories, with people on the left and centre-left people going 'good'. Honestly, I don't know how big of a warning sign you need that the death of the Tory party is bad for your politics!
Reposted by Matt Polacko
alexiakatsanidou.bsky.social
The relationship between income and vote has reversed in the USA.
thomasjwood.bsky.social
The last time I posted the income relationship to presidential vote among White respondents to the @electionstudies.bsky.social ANES, people asked for additional estimates among all voters.

Updated estimates here:
Reposted by Matt Polacko
rbreich.bsky.social
These are the people getting huge tax cuts — paid for by cuts to health care for millions of Americans.

Every lie Trump and Republicans are telling right now is meant to distract you from this.
Reposted by Matt Polacko
prospect.org
A proposed 2% wealth tax in France would affect 1800 people, and bring in $20 billion a year. It’s overwhelmingly popular, but it seems that Macron would rather let the far-right take power than tax the super-rich. From Robert Kuttner: trib.al/Snv1jbR
Taxing the Rich and the Survival of Emmanuel Macron
Today on TAP: A crucial political meeting in Paris today will force a choice between a popular wealth tax and a deepening political crisis.
trib.al
Reposted by Matt Polacko
ecpr.bsky.social
🏆 @mattpolacko.bsky.social has won the 2025 @epsrjournal.bsky.social Early Careers Prize for his outstanding contribution, 'Who benefits from the social democratic march to the middle?' 👏 Congratulations!

Read more 📑👉 buff.ly/gcFu5nf

#ECPRPrizes @luanarusso.bsky.social @andduer.bsky.social
mattpolacko.bsky.social
Very grateful and honoured to be receiving the @epsrjournal.bsky.social Early Careers Prize. Many thanks to the committee! This provides great encouragement to continue researching the transformation of social democracy.

Article: doi.org/10.1017/S175...
Reposted by Matt Polacko
dieworkwear.bsky.social
Jane Goodall was my first childhood hero, as I loved animals as a kid and was inspired by her story. I still remember the National Geographic specials about her. RIP.
Jane Goodall reaches out and touches a small monkey.