Getting a job actually makes low-income moms less likely to vote and more likely to start leaning conservative.
March 25, 2026
Original Paper
Does Employment Shift Mothers' Voting Behavior and Political Identity?
SSRN · 6456966
The Takeaway
Contrary to the assumption that employment increases civic engagement, 50 years of data shows that 'pro-work' policies like the EITC actually reduced voter turnout among mothers. The time-pressure of work coupled with exposure to more conservative coworkers shifted these women's political identities away from the Democratic party.
From the abstract
While the correlation between working and voting is positive, I provide the first causal evidence that this relationship is negative. Using five decades of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) expansions and 1990s welfare reform as instruments for employment, I find that working lowers voter turnout and increases conservatism among lower-income mothers. Voter registration, political knowledge, and civic engagement decline, while preferences for conservative policies rise. Effects are largest for unma