What Winning Economic Populism Looks Like

Presented by Geoff Garin, Hart Research Associates
Research conducted for Groundwork Action

At our Great Society Action gathering, veteran Democratic pollster Geoff Garin presented new research examining a central question for Democrats: What kind of economic argument can reconnect the party with working-class voters who have drifted away?

Garin is president of Hart Research Associates and, alongside Brian Fallon of Barracks Row Advisors and Lindsay Owens of Groundwork Action, authored research based on two national surveys conducted in May and June 2026. The research focuses particular attention on what the authors call “gettable former Democrats”: the 16% of voters in their surveys who previously identified with Democrats but are not strongly aligned with Republicans.

The Idea

The research argues that simply talking about affordability isn't enough. Its central finding is that voters who have moved away from Democrats are looking for an economic argument that connects the prices they pay to a broader explanation of why the economy isn't working for them.

In the surveys, 67% of voters said the economy needs major changes or a complete overhaul, while 67% described the economy as “unfairly rigged” to benefit wealthy people and major corporations. Among the “gettable former Democrats” identified by the researchers, 67% also said the economic system requires major changes or a complete overhaul.

That leads to a distinction the researchers draw between economic populism and “populism-lite.” Their argument is that a collection of proposals to lower individual costs may be less compelling without a larger explanation of what caused those costs to rise and what structural changes are necessary.

The research also finds an appetite for more direct government intervention. By 59% to 32%, respondents preferred an approach in which government establishes rules on wages, healthcare and prices over an approach relying more heavily on market-set prices accompanied by subsidies and tax credits. Large majorities supported interventions involving rent, grocery prices and utility rates.

The broader question raised for Democrats is therefore not simply what policies lower costs, but what economic story connects those policies together.

By the Numbers

67% say the economic system needs major changes or a complete overhaul.

67% say the economy is unfairly rigged to benefit wealthy people and major corporations.

61% of the researchers' “gettable former Democrats” say the cost of living cannot meaningfully be lowered without taking on the power of big corporations and billionaires.

81% say the federal government should take a more active role in solving the country's economic problems.

Go Deeper

Read the full Groundwork Action research, including the methodology and underlying survey materials:

What Separates a Winning Brand of Populism from Populism-Lite?

The findings come from two national online surveys conducted by Hart Research Associates for Groundwork Action: 2,017 U.S. voters surveyed May 6–11, 2026, and 2,000 surveyed May 28–June 2, 2026. Respondents were matched to the voter file; subgroup findings, including those for “gettable former Democrats,” are based on smaller samples and should be interpreted accordingly.