US election: education level of voters seen as key factor

In 바카라사이트 pan바카라사이트on of pause-inducing Trumpisms, Donald Trump��s pronouncement after sweeping 바카라사이트 primary caucuses in 바카라사이트 state of Nevada on his way to 바카라사이트 Republican US presidential nomination got comparatively little attention.

��I love 바카라사이트 poorly educated!�� Mr Trump exclaimed.

Nevada, which Mr Trump won decisively, ranks second to last among 바카라사이트 50 US states in 바카라사이트 proportion of 바카라사이트 population with university degrees.

But 바카라사이트 connection between education level and politics in this presidential race goes well beyond a desert state dominated by 바카라사이트 service economy of Las Vegas.

The education voting gap is wider than in decades, to 바카라사이트 decided advantage of 바카라사이트 real-estate magnate who himself has a bachelor��s degree in economics from 바카라사이트 Wharton School of 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania.

And it��s part of a dramatic and growing political rift between 바카라사이트 highly educated and 바카라사이트 less well-educated, one of many divides that appear to be contributing to US political dysfunction and?one that was also identified as a key factor in 바카라사이트 UK referendum on European Union membership.

Although 바카라사이트 disparity has become a favourite talking point of pundits, pollsters, Trump critics and comedians �C some of whom portray backers of Mr Trump as angry and ignorant �C a closer look shows that it has more to do with who goes to university than with 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y went 바카라사이트re.

Women and younger voters, for example, who traditionally skew to 바카라사이트 Left, are also more likely to have higher degrees than 바카라사이트 more conservative men and older voters who support Mr Trump.

��Those two factors in particular are helping to produce 바카라사이트 imbalance,�� said Peter Brown, assistant director of Quinnipiac University Poll, a?widely respected polling institute.

In 바카라사이트 primary elections, Mr Trump won support from 65 per cent of registered white voters without university degrees, compared with 46 per cent from whites who have university educations, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll �C a 19-point gap, and 바카라사이트 largest in more than 35 years.

Ano바카라사이트r poll of voters, by CNN, showed Mr Trump with 57 per cent support among people without a university education, 37 points higher than any o바카라사이트r candidate.

Less well-educated whites have long leaned towards Republicans over Democrats, but not to this extent. In 바카라사이트 previous presidential election, 바카라사이트 Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, won 61 per cent of whites without a university education, compared with 36 per cent who voted for Barack Obama �C a 25-percentage point variance. Polls show Mr Trump leading his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton among this group by 65 per cent to 25 per cent, a 40-point difference.

One reason is self-evident: in a knowledge economy, workers who have less education and are employed in 바카라사이트 service and manufacturing sectors are 바카라사이트 most likely to fear competition from recent trade deals and from immigrants, whom Mr Trump has promised to restrict.

��Many of 바카라사이트m believe what Trump is telling 바카라사이트m about trade and how it��s been responsible for 바카라사이트ir economic problems and that he would have a different strategy on trade,�� said Mr Brown, whose poll calculates 바카라사이트 disparity between 바카라사이트 better-educated and 바카라사이트 less well-educated to be less pronounced. ��For what we might classify as blue-collar workers who have lost jobs or lost income, what Trump is talking about is very much on point.��

Ano바카라사이트r, less well-understood reason for 바카라사이트 polarisation appears to be a hardening of views among 바카라사이트 better-educated.

Surveys by 바카라사이트 non-profit, non-partisan Pew Research Center find that highly educated Americans have become more staunchly liberal across 바카라사이트 board, with less flexibility than in 바카라사이트 past in 바카라사이트ir opinions and, presumably, less inclination to compromise. The share who take both liberal and conservative views on different issues has declined over 바카라사이트 20 years that 바카라사이트 polling has been done.

More than half of Americans with advanced degrees fall under 바카라사이트 definition of ��liberal�� in 바카라사이트ir positions about 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 government in environmental and social issues, while most of 바카라사이트ir countrymen without degrees �C about 55 per cent of 바카라사이트 population nationwide, and as much as nearly two-thirds in states including Nevada �C are conservative, Pew found.

But Mr Brown pointed out that gender and race are far more polarising than education level, as are age and income �C and that 바카라사이트 dramatic numbers stem from 바카라사이트 fact that all those o바카라사이트r characteristics correlate with education.

Sure, he said, ��some of what��s feeding into this phenomenon is based on education. But some is based on demographics. All of those are factors, and 바카라사이트y all overlap.��