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Good on Paper
The Great Political Sorting of American Offices
Feb 11, 2025
Sahil Chinoy, a Harvard economics PhD and co-author of the influential paper on political sorting in the U.S. labor market, discusses the surprising political segregation in workplaces. He reveals how education and industry characteristics shape this phenomenon and examines the trade-offs workers make for ideological alignment. The conversation also touches on how partisan language in job ads targets specific political ideologies and the impact of workplace dynamics on political activism, particularly among different generations.
57:48
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Quick takeaways
- Political segregation in workplaces mirrors residential patterns, with employees often aligning politically with their co-workers during the job selection process.
- Educational attainment significantly influences political sorting in workplaces, with postgraduate degree holders tending to work in more ideologically homogenous environments.
Deep dives
The Impact of Partisan Segregation in Workplaces
Partisan segregation in the workplace is prevalent, with employees often sharing political affiliations that align with their identity. Research indicates that an individual’s co-worker is 10% more likely to share their party affiliation than would be expected based on local political distributions. This tendency towards segregation stems from individuals opting into fields and industries that predominantly align with their political beliefs, with Democrats leaning towards sectors like the arts and humanities, while Republicans are found more frequently in business and technology. Such sorting not only occurs on an individual basis but also reflects broader institutional trends, making workplaces mirrors of political identities rather than spaces of diversity.
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