Background

The purpose of this study is to pilot a class-based zero-sum belief manipulation, using threat. Three conditions: class zero-sum (czs), control (ctrl), and neutral control (neut). Materials here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YL37_pkABhSpAcOVO0fzeXtBT_MGUe_36bwbw-CiaWE/edit?usp=sharing.

Demographics

Race

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  group_by(race) %>% 
  summarise(N = n()) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(Perc = round(100*(N/sum(N)),2)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

race	N	Perc
American Indian or Alaska Native	1	0.67
Asian	13	8.67
Black or African American	18	12.00
Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin	9	6.00
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	1	0.67
White	94	62.67
multiracial	14	9.33

Gender

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  mutate(gender = ifelse(is.na(gender) | gender == "","other",gender)) %>% 
  group_by(gender) %>% 
  summarise(N = n()) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(Perc = round(100*(N/sum(N)),2)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

gender	N	Perc
man	79	52.67
other	1	0.67
woman	70	46.67

Age

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  summarise(age_mean = round(mean(age,na.rm = T),2),
            age_sd = round(sd(age,na.rm = T),2)) %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

age_mean	age_sd
37.75	12.43

Education

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  group_by(edu) %>% 
  summarise(N = n()) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(Perc = round(100*(N/sum(N)),2)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

edu	N	Perc
GED	39	26.00
2yearColl	14	9.33
4yearColl	73	48.67
MA	16	10.67
PHD	8	5.33

Subjective SES

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  group_by(ses) %>% 
  summarise(N = n()) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(Perc = round(100*(N/sum(N)),2)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

ses	N	Perc
Lower Class	13	8.67
Lower Middle Class	35	23.33
Middle Class	76	50.67
Upper Middle Class	25	16.67
Upper Class	1	0.67

Income

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = income)) +
  geom_bar() +
  theme(panel.grid.major = element_blank(),
        panel.grid.minor = element_blank(),
        panel.background = element_blank(),
        axis.ticks = element_blank(),
        axis.line = element_line(color = "grey66"),
        axis.text.y = element_text(color = "black"),
        axis.text.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"),
        axis.title.x = element_blank(),
        axis.title.y = element_blank()) +
  coord_flip()

Politics

Ideology

Participants were asked about the extent to which they subscribe to the following ideologies on a scale of 1-7 (select NA if unfamiliar): Conservatism, Liberalism, Democratic Socialism, Libertarianism, Progressivism.

means <- df_cbzs_elg %>%
  dplyr::select(PID,ideo_con:ideo_prog) %>% 
  pivot_longer(-PID,
               names_to = "ideo",
               values_to = "score") %>% 
  filter(!is.na(score)) %>% 
  group_by(ideo) %>% 
  summarise(score = mean(score)) %>% 
  ungroup()

df_cbzs_elg %>%
  dplyr::select(PID,ideo_con:ideo_prog) %>% 
  pivot_longer(-PID,
               names_to = "ideo",
               values_to = "score") %>% 
  filter(!is.na(score)) %>%  
  ggplot() +
  geom_density(aes(x = score), fill = "lightblue") +
  scale_x_continuous(limits = c(1,7),
                     breaks = seq(1,7,1)) +
  geom_vline(data = means,mapping = aes(xintercept = score),
             color = "black",
             linetype = "dashed",
             size = 1.1) +
  theme(panel.grid.major = element_blank(),
        panel.grid.minor = element_blank(),
        panel.background = element_blank(),
        axis.ticks = element_blank(),
        axis.line = element_line(color = "grey66"),
        axis.text.y = element_text(color = "black"),
        axis.text.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold")) +
  facet_wrap(~ideo,nrow = 2)

Article reflections

After reading the article, participants were asked: What key insight from this article stood out to you most?

These are their responses:

CZS condition

reflection
The insight that stood out the most was the income disparity between the top 1% in this country and the rest.
US had been a global force in wealth and economic prosperity, but there has been a shift to China and Russia.
That the G7 have less GDP than BRICS despite holding major political and economic power.
The insight that the annual wage increase of the top 1% continues to grow, while the bottom 90% is stagnant.
There has been a shift in economic strength away from America.
That other countries are coming together and creating a currency to reduce their dependence on our dollar and the effects that might have on the average american
Current policies in the USA allow the wealthy to become more wealthy at the expense of the working class.
There is a shift in economic/global financial power. BRICS announced plans to bring into account an alternative currency, which would reduce global use of US currency. Some argue that this will shape the dynamic between the upper and working class of America.
The thing that stood out to me that most was the adaptation of American government policies in response to these economic changes from other countries. This stood out to me the most most likely due to America’s current shift in governmental policies as a whole with the new President.
That middle class wages will continue to stagnate while the upper class will reap the rewards of wealth.
What stood out to me the most is the omission of one of the most basic tenents, which is that everything has come at the expense of the working class, not just the potential for BRICS to have a negative outcome. Additionally, it’s not the ‘upper class’ necessarily who benefit the most no matter what happens, it’s the elite class. This distinction must be made in order for real progress to happen.
The shifts in the economic power of the world was a big eye catcher, but the part where it went into talking about the wealth inequality in the U.S. and how its set to continue surging at the cost of the regular workforce stood out the most.
With the current geopolitical trends, the upper class will reap the benefits of global trade and the financial burden will disproportionaly fall on the working class Americans.
Wealth is obtained directly at the expense of working class people
I think what stood out to me the most is that a lot of these big countries like India and China which have billions in their populations are shifting away from the US Dollar which will cause a huge effect on the american economy.
The trends of richer getting richer and the poor staying poor will stay the way in the future even if the dependence of the US dollar falls.
The shift in financial power from the G7 group to the BRICS group has come at a cost to the working American. The working American’s income does not keep pace with the increase in the income of the richest Americans
That the USA and G7 have decreased in world GDP and the BRICS nations have increased. It is suggested a new international currency should replace the USD for international trade. And in the USA the rich have gotten richer while the poor and working class remain stagnant.
The global economic shift will only be favorable to upper-class citizens.
That the other top economic countries are thinking of creating a new currency that lowers the worth of the US dollar
How the BRICS nations are doing much better than the G7 countries. The top one percent are continue to get higher wages that the rest.
That the working class will suffer more and the wealthy will still come out ahead.
The idea that the gains that the wealthy obtain come directly from the lower classes.
The growing economic strength of BRICS and its potential impact on U.S. trade and the working class stood out the most.
only the wealthy are benefiting from the changes in energy and economic changes in almost all countries, the working class is staying in the same place.
The world and US economy is changing in a lot of ways that may affect the globe as well as myself and my family over time.
The general idea of introducing an alternate currency to international trade stood out to me and also its effects, such as the increasing divide between the American working people and the rich.
One key insight that stood out to me was the growth we are seeing of BRICS nations. Them finding their way into the global market is game changer on market levels.
I read the article three times and I still don’t see something that stands out to me. I’m sorry. it just seems like to me from what I gather that the United States will suffer while the other countries will prosper or benefit from this shift in the economy.
Well, that is disturbing. Sounds like the rich get richer (continue to see their wealth and income increase) and the poor stay the same, stagnant. Sounds so familiar. I had not heard of the potential for the alternative currency to the US dollar.
The working class taking the fall for the wealthy and upper-middle class.
The fact that wealthy Americans will keep getting wealthier while the working class will stagnate and the financial burden will fall on them.
That the wealthiest Americans are getting richer while the poor remain poor.
Changes are being proposed in international trade, which may further impact U.S. interests, which is already dealing with its own problem of a huge gap of economic inequality between the wealthy and working class.
The fact that the govt policies in place keep working class Americans stagnant, while the top 1% keep getting richer really impacted me. I feel that I am experiencing this firsthand because I am constantly wondering why nothing ever feels affordable even when my income continues to go up. It feels like the system is rigged against the most hard-working people, while the people at the top can continue to make money off of the hard workers. This made me sad to think about because it is hard to want to keep going in corporate America when it feels like people like me will never win.
One key insight is the coalition between the BRICS nations will continue to grow and the wealthiest people in the US will gain while the working class will remain constant..
The difference in the wage increase between the rich and the poor. Hence the saying the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer
As being part of the U.S. working class, this is all very worrisome to me.
The BRICS countries are trying to shift economic power away from the United States. BRICS announced that they plan to create an alternative currency to rival the US dollar.
A key insight that stood out to me was since the 1970s, the annual wage increase of the top 1% of income earners has far outpaced the wage increase of the bottom 90% of income earners in the US.
The wealthiest Americans will reap the benefits while none of this would help the working class at all.
As the global market shifts away from US dominance, the wealth gap in the US will worsen with working class Americans continuing to pay the price for the top one percent to become more wealthy.
The policy kept working class wages stagnet and wealthy incomes went up. Looking at chart I see that during Biden term wealthy income went up steeply. And from the chart I see that during my entire income years the wealthy made money much faster than the workers.
That the Brics could change the world economic landscape with their currency if it comes to be the dominant one.
The widening wealth gap between upper and working class amidst global economic shifts.
The growing economic influence of BRICS and their plan to introduce a alternative trade currency could weaken the U.S dollar dominance, reshaping global financial markets. This shift may exacerbate economic inequality in the U.S, where the wealthy benefit while the working class bears the financial burden.
The shift in the global financial landscape from the US.
Economic shifts favor the wealthy over working class americans.
The biggest takeaway is that the shifting global economy could reinforce economic inequality within the United States
The article offers a striking insight by predicting that the shift in global economic power towards BRICS nations could widen the wealth gap in the U.S. This change may benefit the wealthy through new global trade opportunities, while leaving the working class facing persistent and financial challenges, underscoring a troubling zero-sum dynamic within the economy.
The potential shift to a Brics currency could undermine the US dollar’s dominance.
Growing wealthy disparity may worsen for working class Americans amid global shifts
That the BRICS nations want to try and abolish the U.S. dollar I think universal trade income would be a terrible idea.

Control

reflection
They want to change the currency used in international trading.
The plans for an alternative global currency for trade.
What stood out to me the most is that it seems extremely possible that the U.S. dollar will lose some significance
The BRICS nations creating an alternate currency that will crush the US’s already drowning economy.
BRICS nations are gaining on the G7 nations. The G7 nations need to take a new look at how we interact with the rest of the world to maintain ours and democracy’s standing in the world.
The thing that stands out the most to me is that if the US dollar becomes less valuable, there could be substantial changes in the overall global market
Not too long ago I saw a time lapsed video which shows where the US once was in terms of global economic power and if current trends continue where the US will be in the years to come. It was sad and unnerving to me.
With the introduction of the seperate currency outside of the U.S. Dollar, it would cause issues for the US. It very well could diminish American power over foreign economies.
The US is losing ground in the global landscape and will probably have a lot of problems going forward, possibly a stock market crash.
ONE KEY INSIGHT THAT STANDS OUT IS THAT THE BRICS NATIONS GDP AS A WHOLE IS MORE THAN THE US AND THAT IS THE TREND THAT IS CONTINUING TO THIS DAY.
Never heard of BRICS before, so I was surprised to hear of it in this article.
The key insight that stood out to me most is the potential shift from the American dollar to a new BRICS currency.
The US is losing out on global trade, the dollar is losing value
The idea that the US needs to shift away from trade, military, and international political institutions and more towards investing in its own country in terms of domestic infrastructure, businesses and education.
Shift in the growth economic strength of the BRICS nature. The probability of the American economic power deminishes as foreign economies rise.
that they want to use an alternative currency to turn away from the US dollar
That the American dollar is already weak, and establishing a new currency based for economic trade would hurt both the American dollar and America’s dominance on international trade, and/or in comparison to the G7 countries.
The article goes into detail that the United States of America’s economic power is not what it has been back in the early 2000s. Because of this, BRICS nations have started to toy with the idea of having their own currency. The article later goes into detail that if BRICS were to do that, it could be damaging to the USA’s economy.
The key insight from the article is that BRICS countries plan to introduce an alternative currency for trade, which could reduce the USD’s power. This change shows how global economic power is shifting and suggests that the U.S needs to focus more on investing in its own infrastructure and business to stay competitive
The article highlights the growing influence of BRICS nations and their move to create an alternative currency challenging the US dollar dominance and urging the US to reassess its economic priorities.
The global economy is changing and the US influence is decreasing. It may be time to focus government investments domestically.
I didn’t realize that most of the US’s spending was on trade, military, and international politics.
With all of this happening, we still try to control the globe. I didn’t know we spent money trying to control global trade.
If the USD is no longer the dominant global currency, a lot of our soft power in the world especially economically is at risk of being upended by bad faith actors. BRICS seems to have a majority of non-allies in its membership, which poses a big risk to the US.
Global economic strength of BRICS nation is increasing while it is decreasing for G7 nations, including the US. Therefore, some economists argue the US should start investing more domestically rather than globally.
As the global evolves, experts argue that these economic shifts negative impact on the US economy.
BRICS leader was introducing a new currency where they will reduce how much dependence they have on the US dollars, but it could cause issues with the economic issues.
BRICS is considering making a new currency. The US will have to figure out how to adapt to this but opinions are mixed on the best strategy.
The economic shifts impact the american economy, And economists argue that the pattern cannot persist
The US and G7 nations are steadily losing influence internationally and should focus more on domestic infrastructure, business and education.
Adding yet another currency to relieve some of the dependence on USD in the world is an interesting concept but I have to wonder how that would also affect the rest of the currency in other parts of the world
The main thing that stood out to me was the importance of investing inwards like American businesses and education. I think that is the right approach for the future.
It appears that these suggestions for change and change alone are inevitable. The United States will have to eventually give in to such changes despite negative effects.
America is on a slow and steady decline while other countries are binding together to rival the US.
The U.S. economy might depreciate.
Introducing an alternative currency could challenge the dominance of U.S. Dollar and create significant changes in international trade and financial market.
The key insight that stands out is the shift in global economic power, particular with the BRICS nations pushing for an alternative form of currency to reduce reliance on the US dollar.
Significant shift in the strength of US dollar
There are nations that want to change the dependence on the U.S. dollar which could result in the uncertainty of the economic U.S.
American economic power is not what it used to be.
The USA is loosing the strong hold on the dollar
The article’s most intriguing insight is the rise of BRICS as a powerful economic entity, especially with their intentions to introduce an alternative currency for international trade. This development has the potential to significantly challenge the U.S. Dollar’s supremacy and might lead to a reassessment of U.S. economic policy priorities.
What stood out most to me in this article was the significant increase in the BRICS economy and how they are even planning to introduce a new currency for international trade.
As other countries strengthen economically, the US dollar is less relied on. I like the idea of shifting focus to domestic issues rather than maintaining global issues. We need to take care of US citizens first
The opportunity to reshape the economic field can be promising or devastating to the US market share
BRICS nations are trying to push for an alternative global currency which will weaken US presence on global market
The key insight i got from this article is the announcement made on in October 2024, about the introduction of alternative currency for international trade and also the impressive increase in their share of the world’s total gross domestic product.
That BRICS leaders plan to introduce an alternate currency (I think they already did) and that that could negatively impact American economy
The introduction of an international currency by BRICS could lead to challenges but may also lead to growth and innovation

Neutral control

reflection
The world is trying to move away from the US dollar and break the monopoly.
BRICS nations are planning on creating an alternative currency for international trade which would impact the power of the US dollar.
I suppose as an American, the reduction of global dependence on the U.S. Dollar is concerning as I would be worried if the value of the American dollar would decrease.
There is a shift in the financial landscape. Some countries want to move away from the US dollar and take power away from the US.
The United States has typically been the best-off country as far as money and economic power, but that has started to change. A handful of countries including Brazil, Russia, India, and China are trying to start a new currency which would make them not depend on the dollar as much.
That BRICS want to introduce an alternative currency for international trade. This in turn could have problems with global financial markets.
The BRICS countries are starting to gain enough economic power to create a currency that will rival the US Dollar.
The key insight that stood out the most to me is that this change took place following the Obama administration. The graphic used in the article shows that the strength of the dollar declined afterwards, which is typical of the lag effect of economic policy.
russia has some allies
That there are world leaders and nations that no longer want to trade with the US Dollar.
The G7 nations are no longer as powerful as they once were, with the BRICS nations gaining power. They are also trying to introduce a new currency to lower dependency on the US dollar.
I was surprised to read that the US is slowly becoming less economically powerful, and that this trend is being encouraged by BRICS leaders by planning to introduce an alternative currency.
G7 nations are losing dominance in global economies.
BRCIS countries ate gaining economic power. The dollar may no longer be the currency of global trade.
The global economy is changing, especially in regards to the major countries and their overall influences.
That the BRICS nations are getting more share of global economic power.
The expansion of the BRICS nations’ share of the world’s total GDP.
The key insight that stood out to me is the potential for a shift in global financial power, especially with the BRICS nations introducing an alternative currency.
BRICS nations are challenging the U.S. dollar
I was surprised to see that the BRICS nations were overcoming the G7 - not expected!
The BRICS nations are increasing their GDP compared to the G7 nations that most people assume are the richest in the world
the introduction of an alternative currency for international trade that would reduce global dependence on the US dollar.
The financial landscape of rising players is going to shift away from the US economy.
Two things stood out to me. One, that leadership in this country or perhaps the lack of leadership has made us somewhat less than the super power we used to be. The divide in this nation is getting worse all the time and now that Trump is president again and firing everyone who doesn’t “align” with him, things are bound to get worse. The second thing is I’m surprised at Brazil being aligned with the communist nations.
Reducing global dependence on the US Dollar
BRICS is introducing their own currency, which could be a competitor to the US dollar.
I did not know that there was something called the BRICS nation and I wasn’t aware of the G7 nations either. this is interesting news to me. It is also a little troubling to hear that the US dollar could lose its luster in global trade because that cant be too good for us as Americans.
What stood out the most is the introduction of an alternative currency for iternational trade.
The reduction of the dependence on the US Dollar
The key insight that stood out to me the most is that people are considering changing to an alternative currency.
The key insight is the existence of competing global economic spheres of influence, with the prospect of dueling currencies altering current patterns in global trade.
The BRICS nations wanting independence & not waiting on the G7 nations to make decisions.
What stood out for me is reading that BRICS leaders announced plans to introduce an alternative currency for international trade, and it would reduce global dependance on the U.S. Dollar.
A key insight that stood out most to me is that as the US economy is declining, other countries are taking advantage of this and using it to increase their economical impact. BRICS is expanding their shares as ours decrease.
Switching off the American Currency Standard by Brics Nations is the most prominent factor in this article. This could be a very good or a very bad thing, but it will definitely shake up the world’s monetary system. Brics taking more market share is not surprising.
for decades, the United states has the leading global economic power, but recent trends suggest a shift in the global financial landscape.
That the United States and the dollar are slowly being pushed out as countries want to lessen the need for it. More countries are trying to be less dependent on the dollar and the US will have to adjust to it and the markets as well.
The initiation of an alternative currency by BRICS has the potential to significantly reshape global trade dynamics and diminish dependence on the U.S. dollar signaling a crucial shift in economic influence.
That in October they are going to provide an alternative to the dollar which can change shifts in trade
The key insight that stood out the most is the potential decline of the U.S. dollar’s dominance due to the BRICS nation’s efforts to create an alternative currency for international trade.
The key takeaway from this article is the potential effect of the BRICS countries launching an alternative currency for international trade. This initiative could greatly reduce the U.S. Dollar’s and transform global financial landscapes, marking a significant shift in economic power balance.
The most striking insight is the potential weakening of the U.S. dollar’s dominance as BRICS nations work towards establishing an alternative currency for international trade.
The united states no longer holds world economic power. There are other countries coming up and markets are expanding
The growth of influence from the BRICS nations, which are often in opposition to the G7 nations. With the current financial and global standing the development and implementation of a new international standard currency would cause significant impact on the US economy and standing on the world stage.
The economic influence of the G7 countries (including the United States) has been steadily decreasing while that of the BRIC countries has been increasing. Recently, the BRIC countries proposed a new currency to rival the U.S. dollar as an international trade currency.
That the G7 USA GDP numbers have dropped that low, I believe they may be a little higher than that. If not, I believe the USA will still be a powerhouse.
The argument on how this transition would cause a significant shift in trade and large scale adjustments in global financial markets.
The potential decline of U.S dollar dominance in global trade due to BRICS alternative currency initiative is a major shift in economic power.

Measures

Class-based Zero-Sum Beliefs

If the upper class becomes richer, this comes at the expense of the working class
If the upper class makes more money, then the working class makes less money
If the upper class does better economically, this does NOT come at the expense of the working class [R]

alpha = 0.82

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = zs_class)) +
  geom_density(fill = "lightblue",
                 color = "black") +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(1,7,1),
                     limits = c(1,7)) +
  ylab("density") +
  geom_vline(xintercept = mean(df_cbzs_elg$zs_class,na.rm = T),
             color = "black",
             linetype = "dashed",
             size = 1.1) +
  theme(panel.grid.major = element_blank(),
        panel.grid.minor = element_blank(),
        panel.background = element_blank(),
        axis.ticks = element_blank(),
        axis.line = element_line(color = "grey66"),
        axis.text.y = element_text(color = "black"),
        axis.text.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"),
        axis.title.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"))

Working class solidarity: New Measure

I feel a sense of solidarity with the working class
Working class people experience the same economic struggles, regardless of race or background
Economic policy that affects the working class does not have much of an effect on me [R]
I see my daily struggles as closely linked to the struggle of the working class
I am willing to make personal sacrifices in order to support other working class people
I feel committed to the working class

alpha = 0.63

hmm, that alpha is not great. But workable. I’ll check out how each item contributes to this and see if we can drop an item or two to help with the internal consistency. But I’ll do all of that after the main analyses.

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = solinew)) +
  geom_density(fill = "lightblue",
                 color = "black") +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(1,7,1),
                     limits = c(1,7)) +
  ylab("density") +
  geom_vline(xintercept = mean(df_cbzs_elg$solinew,na.rm = T),
             color = "black",
             linetype = "dashed",
             size = 1.1) +
  theme(panel.grid.major = element_blank(),
        panel.grid.minor = element_blank(),
        panel.background = element_blank(),
        axis.ticks = element_blank(),
        axis.line = element_line(color = "grey66"),
        axis.text.y = element_text(color = "black"),
        axis.text.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"),
        axis.title.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"))

ok! much better.

Linked Fate

White working class and Black working class individuals share a common destiny
Issues that affect White working class Americans also affect Black working class Americans
What happens to the White working class does not have anything to do with what will happen to the Black working class [R]
Progress for Black working class people also means progress for White working class people
When the way Black working class people are treated in the U.S. changes, the way that White working class people are treated will naturally follow

alpha = 0.73

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = linkedfate)) +
  geom_density(fill = "lightblue",
                 color = "black") +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(1,7,1),
                     limits = c(1,7)) +
  ylab("density") +
  geom_vline(xintercept = mean(df_cbzs_elg$linkedfate,na.rm = T),
             color = "black",
             linetype = "dashed",
             size = 1.1) +
  theme(panel.grid.major = element_blank(),
        panel.grid.minor = element_blank(),
        panel.background = element_blank(),
        axis.ticks = element_blank(),
        axis.line = element_line(color = "grey66"),
        axis.text.y = element_text(color = "black"),
        axis.text.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"),
        axis.title.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"))

Support for policy

Participants read one of the following:

Minimum wage: Congress has not increased the federal minimum wage, currently set at 7.25 dollars, since 2009. Some Congresspeople are proposing a policy that would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to 18 dollars an hour by 2026. After 2026, the minimum wage would be adjusted each year to keep pace with growth in the median wage, a measure of wages for typical workers.

Student debt: Some Congresspeople are proposing a policy that would help to address the student loan debt crisis by forgiving up to 50,000 dollars in loans per borrower. Approximately 42 million Americans, or about 1 in 6 American adults, owe a cumulative 1.6 trillion dollars in student loans. Student loans are now the second-largest slice of household debt after mortgages, bigger than credit card debt.

Housing: Some Congresspeople are proposing a housing affordability policy that would help ensure that every American has a place to live. The policy would allow for smaller, lower cost homes like duplexes, townhouses, and garden apartments to be built in middle- and upper-class neighborhoods, and would build new nonprofit homes.

Climate: Some Congresspeople are proposing a Green New Deal bill which would phase out the use of fossil fuels, with the government providing clean energy jobs for people who can’t find employment in the private sector. All jobs would pay at least 15 dollars an hour, and include healthcare benefits and collective bargaining rights. This would be paid for by raising taxes on incomes over 200,000 dollars a year by 15 percentage points.

Then, they indicated their support for the policy on a single item.

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = support)) +
  geom_histogram(binwidth = 1,
                 fill = "lightblue",
                 color = "black") +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(1,7,1),
                     limits = c(0,8)) +
  geom_vline(xintercept = mean(df_cbzs_elg$support,na.rm = T),
             color = "black",
             linetype = "dashed",
             size = 1.1) +
  theme(panel.grid.major = element_blank(),
        panel.grid.minor = element_blank(),
        panel.background = element_blank(),
        axis.ticks = element_blank(),
        axis.line = element_line(color = "grey66"),
        axis.text.y = element_text(color = "black"),
        axis.text.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"),
        axis.title.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"))

Working class solidarity: Old measure

I feel a sense of solidarity with the working class
I support policy that helps the working class
I stand united with the working class
Policies negatively affecting the working class should be changed
More people should know about how the working class is negatively affected by economic issues
It’s important to challenge the power structures that disadvantage the working class

alpha = 0.88

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = soliold)) +
  geom_density(fill = "lightblue",
                 color = "black") +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(1,7,1),
                     limits = c(1,7)) +
  ylab("density") +
  geom_vline(xintercept = mean(df_cbzs_elg$soliold,na.rm = T),
             color = "black",
             linetype = "dashed",
             size = 1.1) +
  theme(panel.grid.major = element_blank(),
        panel.grid.minor = element_blank(),
        panel.background = element_blank(),
        axis.ticks = element_blank(),
        axis.line = element_line(color = "grey66"),
        axis.text.y = element_text(color = "black"),
        axis.text.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"),
        axis.title.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"))

Analysis

Underpowered, so I’ll mostly pay attention to the means and effect sizes. I’ll also not control for multiple comparisons in my stats, and instead, just do t-tests.

Class-Based Zero-Sum Beliefs

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  group_by(cond) %>% 
  summarise(N = n(),
            Mean = mean(zs_class,na.rm = T),
            SD = sd(zs_class,na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

cond	N	Mean	SD
ctrl	49	4.938776	1.519432
czs	53	5.201258	1.312887
neut	48	4.625000	1.523069

m <- t.test(zs_class ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "neut"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. ctrl: t(95.25) = -0.93, p = 0.355, Lower CI = -0.82, Upper CI = 0.3, d = -0.19.

m <- t.test(zs_class ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "ctrl"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. neut: t(93.34) = 2.03, p = 0.046, Lower CI = 0.01, Upper CI = 1.14, d = 0.42.

m <- t.test(zs_class ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "czs"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

ctrl vs. neut: t(94.95) = 1.02, p = 0.312, Lower CI = -0.3, Upper CI = 0.93, d = 0.21.

Ugh, not great. The effects are weaker than in the previous pilot. But I still think we’d get an effect with a larger sample. The problem is that we’re consistently seeing czs<>neut as the biggest effect, so we might have to use that instead of the active control condition.

Solidarity: New measure

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  group_by(cond) %>% 
  summarise(N = n(),
            Mean = mean(solinew,na.rm = T),
            SD = sd(solinew,na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

cond	N	Mean	SD
ctrl	49	5.071429	0.7942210
czs	53	5.327044	0.7100938
neut	48	5.100694	0.8877546

m <- t.test(solinew ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "neut"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. ctrl: t(96.51) = -1.71, p = 0.091, Lower CI = -0.55, Upper CI = 0.04, d = -0.35.

m <- t.test(solinew ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "ctrl"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. neut: t(89.95) = 1.41, p = 0.163, Lower CI = -0.09, Upper CI = 0.55, d = 0.3.

m <- t.test(solinew ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "czs"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

ctrl vs. neut: t(93.38) = -0.17, p = 0.865, Lower CI = -0.37, Upper CI = 0.31, d = -0.04.

This is a lot better! The effect sizes that we care about are .35 and .30. Those are actually pretty solid. Should be detectable with 200 per cell.

Linked fate

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  group_by(cond) %>% 
  summarise(N = n(),
            Mean = mean(linkedfate,na.rm = T),
            SD = sd(linkedfate,na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

cond	N	Mean	SD
ctrl	49	4.963265	1.063542
czs	53	4.875472	1.064986
neut	48	5.033333	1.072942

m <- t.test(linkedfate ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "neut"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. ctrl: t(99.4) = 0.42, p = 0.678, Lower CI = -0.33, Upper CI = 0.51, d = 0.08.

m <- t.test(linkedfate ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "ctrl"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. neut: t(97.87) = -0.74, p = 0.46, Lower CI = -0.58, Upper CI = 0.26, d = -0.15.

m <- t.test(linkedfate ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "czs"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

ctrl vs. neut: t(94.92) = -0.32, p = 0.747, Lower CI = -0.5, Upper CI = 0.36, d = -0.07.

Nothing here. Ok.

Solidarity: Old measure

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  group_by(cond) %>% 
  summarise(N = n(),
            Mean = mean(soliold,na.rm = T),
            SD = sd(soliold,na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

cond	N	Mean	SD
ctrl	49	5.666667	0.8660254
czs	53	5.789937	0.8494741
neut	48	5.600694	0.8804010

m <- t.test(soliold ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "neut"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. ctrl: t(99.04) = -0.72, p = 0.47, Lower CI = -0.46, Upper CI = 0.21, d = -0.15.

m <- t.test(soliold ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "ctrl"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. neut: t(97.21) = 1.1, p = 0.275, Lower CI = -0.15, Upper CI = 0.53, d = 0.22.

m <- t.test(soliold ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "czs"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

ctrl vs. neut: t(94.87) = 0.37, p = 0.711, Lower CI = -0.29, Upper CI = 0.42, d = 0.08.

Nothing here either.

Policy support

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  group_by(cond) %>% 
  summarise(N = n(),
            Mean = mean(support,na.rm = T),
            SD = sd(support,na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

cond	N	Mean	SD
ctrl	49	5.265306	1.890497
czs	53	4.679245	2.155258
neut	48	4.604167	2.199996

m <- t.test(support ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "neut"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. ctrl: t(99.73) = 1.46, p = 0.147, Lower CI = -0.21, Upper CI = 1.38, d = 0.29.

m <- t.test(support ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "ctrl"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. neut: t(97.58) = 0.17, p = 0.863, Lower CI = -0.79, Upper CI = 0.94, d = 0.04.

m <- t.test(support ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "czs"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

ctrl vs. neut: t(92.3) = 1.59, p = 0.116, Lower CI = -0.17, Upper CI = 1.49, d = 0.33.

Opposite direction - if anything. Let’s not read too much into this.

Exploratory Analysis

Class solidarity Scale development

First, let’s check out the item-by-item distributions.

1. I feel a sense of solidarity with the working class
2. Working class people experience the same economic struggles, regardless of race or background
3. Economic policy that affects the working class does not have much of an effect on me [R]
4. I see my daily struggles as closely linked to the struggle of the working class
5. I am willing to make personal sacrifices in order to support other working class people
6. I feel committed to the working class

means <- df_cbzs_elg %>%
  dplyr::select(PID,solinew_1:solinew_6) %>% 
  pivot_longer(-PID,
               names_to = "item",
               values_to = "score") %>% 
  filter(!is.na(score)) %>% 
  group_by(item) %>% 
  summarise(score = mean(score)) %>% 
  ungroup()

df_cbzs_elg %>%
  dplyr::select(PID,solinew_1:solinew_6) %>% 
  pivot_longer(-PID,
               names_to = "item",
               values_to = "score") %>% 
  filter(!is.na(score)) %>%  
  ggplot(aes(x = score)) +
  geom_histogram(fill = "lightblue",
                 color = "black",
                 binwidth = 1) +
  scale_x_continuous(limits = c(1,7),
                     breaks = seq(0,8,1)) +
  geom_vline(data = means,mapping = aes(xintercept = score),
             color = "black",
             linetype = "dashed",
             size = 1.1) +
  theme(panel.grid.major = element_blank(),
        panel.grid.minor = element_blank(),
        panel.background = element_blank(),
        axis.ticks = element_blank(),
        axis.line = element_line(color = "grey66"),
        axis.text.y = element_text(color = "black"),
        axis.text.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold")) +
  facet_wrap(~item,nrow = 2)

Alright, that actually looks pretty solid. None of these items are standing out. Maybe solinew_5.

Let’s see the results of the Cronbach’s alpha, item-by-item. The item with the lowest r.drop value should be removed. Then we’ll see the resulting alpha value.

alpha_table <- df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  dplyr::select(solinew_1:solinew_6) %>% 
  psych::alpha()

alpha_table$item.stats %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

	n	raw.r	std.r	r.cor	r.drop	mean	sd
solinew_1	150	0.7668531	0.7956182	0.7850104	0.6360527	5.420000	1.142645
solinew_2	150	0.3832827	0.3345907	0.0889647	0.0641329	4.980000	1.556411
solinew_3R	150	0.5708363	0.5563804	0.4353815	0.3060443	5.346667	1.474557
solinew_4	150	0.7396123	0.7405883	0.6837918	0.5703654	5.326667	1.308191
solinew_5	150	0.5011074	0.5112529	0.3824975	0.2304128	4.606667	1.423186
solinew_6	150	0.6988433	0.7308442	0.6876058	0.5390190	5.346667	1.158492

Ok, let’s try dropping solinew_2 (Working class people experience the same economic struggles, regardless of race or background; wow, it’s the only item that mentions race…)

alpha_table <- df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  dplyr::select(solinew_1,solinew_3R:solinew_6) %>% 
  psych::alpha()

alpha <- alpha_table$total[1]

alpha = 0.71

Awesome. Brings us over that .70 arbitrary threshold.
Let’s see its distribution

df_cbzs_elg <- df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  rowwise() %>% 
  mutate(solinew_short = mean(c(solinew_1,
                                solinew_3R,
                                solinew_4,
                                solinew_5,
                                solinew_6))) %>% 
  ungroup()

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = solinew_short)) +
  geom_density(fill = "lightblue",
                 color = "black") +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(1,7,1),
                     limits = c(1,7)) +
  ylab("density") +
  geom_vline(xintercept = mean(df_cbzs_elg$solinew_short,na.rm = T),
             color = "black",
             linetype = "dashed",
             size = 1.1) +
  theme(panel.grid.major = element_blank(),
        panel.grid.minor = element_blank(),
        panel.background = element_blank(),
        axis.ticks = element_blank(),
        axis.line = element_line(color = "grey66"),
        axis.text.y = element_text(color = "black"),
        axis.text.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"),
        axis.title.x = element_text(color = "black",
                                   face = "bold"))

I like it.

Let’s see how this version (without item 2) fairs as a DV.

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  group_by(cond) %>% 
  summarise(N = n(),
            Mean = mean(solinew_short,na.rm = T),
            SD = sd(solinew_short,na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

cond	N	Mean	SD
ctrl	49	5.151020	0.9087818
czs	53	5.400000	0.7980746
neut	48	5.058333	0.9443749

m <- t.test(solinew_short ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "neut"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. ctrl: t(95.86) = -1.47, p = 0.146, Lower CI = -0.59, Upper CI = 0.09, d = -0.3.

m <- t.test(solinew_short ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "ctrl"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. neut: t(92.49) = 1.95, p = 0.054, Lower CI = -0.01, Upper CI = 0.69, d = 0.41.

m <- t.test(solinew_short ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "czs"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

ctrl vs. neut: t(94.67) = 0.49, p = 0.624, Lower CI = -0.28, Upper CI = 0.47, d = 0.1.

Great. This is just as good (and even slightly better) as the long measure. Here, the d values are .30 and .41. Again, 200 per cell should be enough to find this effect.

Let’s look just at Item 2 as a single item dv…

df_cbzs_elg %>% 
  group_by(cond) %>% 
  summarise(N = n(),
            Mean = mean(solinew_2,na.rm = T),
            SD = sd(solinew_2,na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  kbl() %>% 
  kable_styling(bootstrap_options = "hover",
                full_width = F,
                position = "left")

cond	N	Mean	SD
ctrl	49	4.673469	1.736708
czs	53	4.962264	1.616766
neut	48	5.312500	1.223115

m <- t.test(solinew_2 ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "neut"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. ctrl: t(97.79) = -0.87, p = 0.388, Lower CI = -0.95, Upper CI = 0.37, d = -0.18.

m <- t.test(solinew_2 ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "ctrl"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

czs vs. neut: t(96.05) = -1.23, p = 0.22, Lower CI = -0.91, Upper CI = 0.21, d = -0.25.

m <- t.test(solinew_2 ~ cond,data = df_cbzs_elg %>% filter(cond != "czs"))
d_mod <- cohens_d(m)
d = d_mod[1,1]

ctrl vs. neut: t(86.31) = -2.1, p = 0.039, Lower CI = -1.24, Upper CI = -0.03, d = -0.45.

oh, that’s no bueno.

Class-Based Zero-Sum Beliefs

February 2025A: Analysis

Background

Demographics

Race

Gender

Age

Education

Subjective SES

Income

Politics

Ideology

Article reflections

CZS condition

Control

Neutral control

Measures

Class-based Zero-Sum Beliefs

Working class solidarity: New Measure

Linked Fate

Support for policy

Working class solidarity: Old measure

Analysis

Class-Based Zero-Sum Beliefs

Solidarity: New measure

Linked fate

Solidarity: Old measure

Policy support

Exploratory Analysis

Class solidarity Scale development