ABSTRACT
Many people see the Democrats' situation as part of a broader transformation in the substantive focus of American political debates and in the electorate and the political process. It is widely argued that inequalities can be overcome through individual effort and that government programs are unnecessary. Even as inequality has increased over the last three decades, a conventional wisdom has developed that Democrats have stumbled in their ability to address equality of opportunity issues. William Galston has argued: Edsall and Edsall reiterated the argument with a broader focus: For whatever reasons, the conclusion is that it is politically risky to raise issues of equality of opportunity, even at a time when inequality is increasing. The crucial question is whether the electoral trends of the last several decades support the conventional wisdom that has developed. Fourth is how a connection between class and party developed over time.
