Culture Wars, Political Polarization, and the 2022 Elections. Implications for Building an Economy that Works for All. November 30 - December 1, Washington, DC.

The results of this year’s elections will determine control of Congress and set the stage for the second half of President Biden’s term of office. Races at the state and local level will also have significant impacts on the concentration of political power across the states and new laws targeting abortion, guns, voting rights, and election infrastructure.

EOF hosted a 2022 Post-Election Briefing to provide funders and philanthropic advisors with an opportunity to hear from national experts and engage in discussion with funder colleagues on:

  • What issues and narratives motivated voters;
  • How election outcomes will impact opportunities and challenges facing families, workers, and communities across the nation; and
  • What the results mean for our work as funders in the short and long-term.

See a summary of our first plenary session below.

Unpacking the 2022 Elections

The 2022 elections, in many ways, defied history and expectations. While Republicans secured a slim majority in the House of Representatives, Democrats retained control of the Senate while winning governorships in tightly contested states like Arizona, Wisconsin, and Kansas. It was not, as many had predicted, a “wave” election for Republicans.

During the 2022 EOF Post-Election Briefing, a panel of experts explored what the recent elections tell us about political participation, dialogue on the direction of the country, and the future of social and economic policy.

Avenel Joseph Headshot

Avenel Joseph, Vice President, Policy, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Carroll Doherty headshot

Carroll Doherty, Director, Political Research, Pew Research Center

Dorian Warren headshot

Dorian Warren, Co-President, Community Change and co-chair, Economic Security Project.

Slides:

The ‘No Wave’ Election – and What It May Portend, Carroll Doherty, Director, Political Research, Pew Research Center

 

Recap:

Under normal political circumstances, midterm elections are not kind to the party in power. With Democrats in control of the White House and Congress, low approval ratings for President Biden, and concerns about rising inflation, conventional wisdom pointed to a strong showing for Republicans.

But these are not normal times. The Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year to overturn Roe v. Wade, plus concerns about threats to democracy, seemed to change the calculus for enough voters. Instead of a referendum on the party in power, for many people, the election became a referendum on abortion, election denialism, and extremism.

The economy remained the top issue for voters, but democracy, health care, and education were also very important. After the Supreme Courts’ Dobbs decision, there was a dramatic increase in voters naming abortion as a very important issue.

Ballot initiatives proved a particularly successful strategy for advancing social and economic policies. Voters in New Mexico, for example, approved a constitutional amendment to dramatically boost spending for early childhood education. In Massachusetts, voters supported a “millionaire tax” that will direct more funding to education and infrastructure.

These successes may signal a larger opportunity for those working to advance economic opportunity. While polarization and distrust in government remain high, when economic and social measures are put directly to voters, many have been successful, even in traditionally conversative states like Kansas.

The work doesn’t end on election day. For early childhood education and other measures, effective implementation is critical. With the federal government likely to be deadlocked on major issues for the next two years and millions still remain to be spent in covid relief and infrastructure funds, funders should consider supporting state and local efforts to build on and successfully implement recent policy wins.

2022 Post-Election Briefing Quote: In spite of the topline reservations about government and low trust, Americans still want government and they want government to work. And they want their local government to work. - Caroll Doherty
2022 Post-Election Briefing Quote: Everybody loves a policy campaign but when it comes to implementation and enforcement it ain’t sexy. And it’s actually the most important part. So over the next several years how will we collectively be thinking about implementation of things that have been won? - Dorian Warren