Joan C. Williams

What the Manosphere Tells Us About Working Class Politics

Want to know the path forward for liberals to reconnect with working-class guys? Check out What the Manosphere Tells Us About Working Class Politics -- oh, and also I address the question of whether "the working class votes against its own self-interest." open.spotify.com/episode/3MAK...

Break Fake Rules Some rules are meant to be broken. Tune into the Break Fake Rules podcast with Glen Galaich to challenge philanthropy’s self-imposed rules.

I joined Glen Galaich on the Break Fake Rules podcast to discuss my book, Outclassed.

In this episode, I share steps to rebuild credibility, restore trust, and reconnect with the working class.

"If you work hard, you’ll get ahead" — the American Dream once captured the aspirations of many Americans. Now, 70% of Americans say the American Dream isn’t true or never was.

Read my latest piece in Jacobin here:

jacobin.com/2025/09/work...

How post-materialism fuelled the rise of the far right - LSE Inequalities What values and cultural tastes separate the professional managerial elite from middle-status folk in routine jobs &how is this driving contemporary politics?

Happy to share my newest piece, which discusses why new approaches to economic policy won't be enough to defeat the far right.

blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities...

So pleased my book has been long-listed for the Financial Times Best Business Book of the Year award. It's also on sale at Barnes & Noble's. Stay tuned for info. #BBYA25

Thanks!

How the Left lost the working class A majority of registered voters think the Democrats are out of touch with Americans' everyday concerns according to recent polling. Social inequality scholar Joan Williams discusses her book "Outclass...

I had a great time talking with Meghna Chakrabarti on WBUR Thursday about my new book Outclassed. She called me out when I needed it! It's hard to speak respectfully of people who aren't like you....but worth the effort to try.
www.wbur.org/onpoint/2025...

Opinion | Lucky for Democrats, they picked the least-worst time to be unpopular Despite dismal polling, Democrats have some encouraging signs. But they need to get in shape, fast.

Democrats aren't meeting the moment: they need to start talking about how, even for college grads, hard work no longer pays off in a stable life, linking frustration of the young and that of the precarious Missing Middle (aka "working class"). www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Six months in, young people have soured on Trump's job handling — CBS News analysis Most Americans under 30 approved at the start of President Trump's second term but are dissatisfied with the economy's direction.

Trump's support among young people has fallen from 55% to 28%. www.cbsnews.com/news/young-p...

How can Democrats win back working-class voters? Change their tune | Joan C Williams Campaigning on ‘protecting democracy’ isn’t appealing for non-college-educated voters. So why haven’t Democrats changed their message?

I have a new article out today in the Guardian explaining why talking only about the defense of democracy will help the other side attack democracy. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

How To Win Over The Working Class | KQED In the last election, voters with college degrees leaned heavily toward Kamala Harris. But most voters without a degree backed President Trump. It’s not just about policy. It’s about pride, identity, ...

Another great conversation with @kqednews.kqed.org, check it out!
www.kqed.org/news/1204757...

Thanks, Pete, it was great to talk with you!

So grateful to Anne-Marie Slaughter for joining me in conversation about my new book at Politics & Prose in DC last week!

'Channel economic anger': How Democrats can reach working class voters Author and Professor Joan C. Williams joins Morning Joe to discuss her new book 'Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back'. The book argues that the Democratic party an...

Had lots of fun today on @morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social, If you missed it, check out the recording here:

Understanding class in the United States is critical if we want to transform caregiving policy Joan Williams argues how understanding class is key to winning the kind of family-supportive public policies, workplace practices and cultural attitudes that will enable all of us to more easily combi...

Another great conversation about Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back with @betterlifelab.bsky.social

Thanks for having me.

How Democrats Forgot To Be Normal, with Joan Williams | Capitalisn't Back in 2016, Joan Williams, distinguished professor of law (emerita) at UC Law San Francisco, wrote an essay for the Harvard Business Review on why President Donald Trump attracted so many non-colleg...

Thank you @capitalisnt.bsky.social for having me on a wonderful podcast episode: How Democrats Forgot to Be Normal

Excited to read Prof. Emilio J Castillo's forthcoming book, The Meritocracy Paradox: Where Talent Management Strategies Go Wrong and How to Fix Them, which will soon be published by Columbia University Press!

Check it out!
🔗 tinyurl.com/3mddb5n8
🔗 tinyurl.com/u8cfeubw

I'm thrilled to announce the upcoming release of my book, Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back, available May 20th. I’d love for you to join me at one of the upcoming book events—hope to see you there!

Had a great time speaking with KQED this morning, check out the recording below!

Beyond DEI: Understanding Public Opinion on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion - AAPOR Beyond DEI: Understanding Public Opinion on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Travis Brodbeck, LB Hannahs, Samuel Kennedy, Colleen Kromrey, Don Levy Background. President Trump’s Executive Order 14151 ch...

People should be aware that using the term "DEI" plummets the support for DEI principles. This poll shows that while 80% of Americans support the core ideas behind DEI, only about 50% express support when the term 'DEI' is explicitly used.
#DEI #inclusion #Diversity #Equity

Sowing a Rural Insurgency New organizing groups agitate for a healthy share of resources to rebuild the Democratic image in left-behind communities.

Fantastic new article shows how the left can connect with rural voters – it’s not impossible, not even that hard. Congratulations to my friends at the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative

Resistance Is Not Enough. The Left Must Address the Grievances of the Working Class. The left’s almost singular focus on defense is a grave mistake. We must offer a compelling, positive vision of what we are for.

Great piece by Anthony Flaccavento in @thenation.com magazine on the need to address the grievances of the working class. A very timely read.

How to Assess the New Legal Risks of Your DEI Policies While legal battles over DEI are currently being fought in the U.S. courts, the Trump administration has signaled its intention to make noncompliance with its executive orders so punitive that leaders...

Our new article discussing how to assess legal risk in DEI policies is now live. Read more here:

How the left can win back the working class In a new book Joan Williams says Democrats can win back ground lost to Trump without abandoning their values

Thank you @theguardian.com for the feature on my forthcoming book: OUTCLASSED: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back. Read the full piece here:
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/f...

How the left can win back the working class In a new book Joan Williams says Democrats can win back ground lost to Trump without abandoning their values

Great feature on @joan-c-williams.bsky.social in @us.theguardian.com abt her book (out May 20 @stmartinspress.bsky.social ) "OUTCLASSED: How the Left Lost the Working Class--and How to Win Them Back." TLDR; the Dems are doing it wrong, here's how to fix it www.theguardian.com/books/2025/f...

📖 My new book: OUTCLASSED - is available for pre-order

📚 Barnes & Noble Rewards and Premium Members get 25% off all pre-orders from February 5 - 7! Premium Members get an additional 10% off!

📥 Pre-order your copy of OUTCLASSED now: bit.ly/4gncsUM

Trump Says He Wants Meritocracy. Here’s How to Do It. Companies know it’s bad for business if White males are having better work experiences than all others.

My latest op-ed with Vernā Myers discussing the state of meritocracy just dropped in Bloomberg.

Read it here: