Sean Adrian McElwee
Founder, Positive Sum Strategies, Positive Sun Strategies
Chapter Member: New York City SSN
Areas of Expertise:
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About Sean
McElwee’s work focuses on policy attitudes among the electorate. He studies how framing and messaging can affect policy preferences and survey design. His past work explored voting inequalities across class, race and age and the effects of these inequalities on policy and vote attitudes about race.
Contributions
The White Donor Class and City Policy in Chicago
Key Findings Brief,
No Jargon Podcast
In the News
Interviewed in "How "Abolish ICE" Went From A Twitter Slogan To A Litmus Test," Buzzfeed News, July 28, 2018.
Research discussed by , in "Where is the American "Great Middle" That James Comey is Talking About?," Mic, July 23, 2018.
Research discussed by , in "How a Left-Wing Rallying Cry Burst into the Mainstream as Trump Implements his Most Extreme Immigration Policy Yet," Business Insider, June 30, 2018.
Research discussed by , in "South Florida Democrats lurch left with call to abolish ICE," Miami Herald, June 26, 2018.
Research discussed by , in "'Abolish ICE!' is the New Rallying Cry for Progressive Democrats," NBC News, June 22, 2018.
Quoted by A.P. Joyce in "The Movement to Abolish ICE Is Growing as Trump Administration Ramps up Immigration Policies," Mic, June 20, 2018.
Opinion: "The Future Of The Democratic Party Is Being Decided Right Now," Sean Adrian McElwee, Huffington Post, June 6, 2018.
Research discussed by , in "Sanders Institute Offers a Fix for Our Abysmal Voter Turnouts," Truthdig, May 16, 2018.
Quoted by Marie Solis in "Who is Kara Eastman? First-Time Female Candidates Stuns Democratic Establishment in Nebraska's Primaries," Newsweek, May 16, 2018.
Quoted by Benjy Sarlin in "Fringe Liberal Ideas Move to Front-Burner for Democrats," NBC News, May 14, 2018.
Research discussed by , in "Voices on the Left are Rising in the US. Why Aren’t They in Mainstream Media?," Columbia Journalism Review, May 8, 2018.
Opinion: "Democrats are in Denial about the Supreme Court," Sean Adrian McElwee, Huffington Post, May 4, 2018.
Quoted by Marie Solis in "Can a Federal Jobs Guarantee Help Democrats Defeat Trump in 2020?," Newsweek, April 26, 2018.
Quoted by Jake Johnson in "Embracing 'the Sort of Bold Thinking We Need,' Sanders to Introduce Plan to Guarantee Every American a Job," Common Dreams, April 23, 2018.
Quoted by Sahil Kapur in "Democrats United against Trump but Torn on Election Agenda," Bloomberg Politics, April 18, 2018.
Opinion: "How Racism Could Drive Support for War with Iran," Sean Adrian McElwee (with ), The Nation, April 6, 2018.
Quoted by Gregory Krieg in "Cuomo Pushes to Reunite Party as Nixon Challenge Grows," CNN, April 4, 2018.
Quoted by David Colon in "Will IDC Challengers Ride Cynthia Nixon's Coattails?," City & State New York, April 2, 2018.
Quoted by A.P. Joyce in "This Progressive Millennial Aims to Bring Change to America’s Wealthiest Congressional District," Mic, March 23, 2018.
Quoted by David Weigel in "'Medicare for All' Has Broad Support — but Pollsters Worry That it hasn't Been Tested," Washington Post, March 19, 2018.
Research discussed by , in "Re-energizing Obama Supporters Who were Nonvoters in 2016 Seen as Best Path for Dems in '18," MinnPost, March 12, 2018.
Quoted by Peter Hasson in "Abolishing ICE Looks Likely to Become 2020 Campaign Issue for Democrats," The Daily Caller, March 9, 2018.
Opinion: "How Employers Already Compel Speech from Workers," Sean Adrian McElwee, The Nation, February 27, 2018.
Opinion: "Labor’s Lost: The Supreme Court’s Latest Union Case is Designed to Kneecap the Democratic Party," Sean Adrian McElwee (with ), Slate, February 25, 2018.
Opinion: "Democrats Should Run on Gun Control All over the Country," Sean Adrian McElwee, Vice, February 16, 2018.
Opinion: "The 2018 Democratic Wave is about More than Congress," Sean Adrian McElwee, Huffington Post, January 24, 2018.
Opinion: "These Democratic Senators Should be Afraid for Their Jobs," Sean Adrian McElwee (with ), VICE, January 22, 2018.
Opinion: "Jeff Sessions is on the Wrong Side of Marijuana Legalization. Can Democrats Take Advantage?," Sean Adrian McElwee, NBC News, January 4, 2018.
Quoted by Noah Smith in "Economists Should Care about the Racial Divide," Bloomberg, January 4, 2018.
Opinion: "Why Did Trump Win? More Whites - and Fewer Blacks - Actually Voted.," Sean Adrian McElwee (with ), The Washington Post, May 8, 2017.
Opinion: "Is America More Divided by Race or Class?," Sean Adrian McElwee (with ), The Washington Post, October 12, 2016.
Regular contributions by Sean Adrian McElwee to Al-Jazeera America.
Regular contributions by Sean Adrian McElwee to Salon.
Opinion: "White Kids Aren't Buying the Politics of Racial Resentment," Sean Adrian McElwee (with ), Gawker, May 11, 2016.
Opinion: "There’s Powerful Evidence that Racial Attitudes Drive Tea Party Support," Sean Adrian McElwee (with ), Vox, February 10, 2016.
Opinion: "Republican Voters are More Pro-Climate Than You Might Think," Sean Adrian McElwee (with ), Mother Jones, December 15, 2015.
Publications
"Why Voting Matters: Large Disparities in Turnout Benefit the Donor Class", Demos, September 2015.
Examines American National Election Studies data to show that voters are more conservative on many core issues related to inequality and redistribution than non-voters. Analyzes Census Bureau data to show the deep class and race disparities in turnout. Includes a new review of the literature showing that turnout affects policy.
"Why the Voting Gap Matters", Demos, October 2014.
Lays out the case that voters and non-voters have distinct preferences and that these differences have important implications for public policy. Makes the case for policies to increase turnout.
"How Chicago’s White Donor Class Distorts City Policy", Demos, April 2016.
Uses a pioneering new method to explore the race, gender and income demographics of political donors. Shows that donors to Chicago elections are whiter and richer than the general population. Argues that donors in the mid-range are more diverse than the largest donors, while using survey data to show that donors from Chicago are more supportive of austerity.