The Professional Managerial Class (PMC) and its Shift Towards Leftism

The Ehrenreichs' Definition

The Ehrenreichs coined the term 'Professional Managerial Class' (PMC) in their 1977 essay for the magazine Radical America. Members of the PMC tend to have jobs that create and maintain capitalist culture and its associated values. They include individuals in industries such as the arts, education, medicine, entertainment, law, advertising, and technology. The Ehrenreichs noted that the PMC played a crucial role in maintaining the public's faith in the economic system.

The Shift in Support

In a CBS News/YouGov poll released this month, Democrats, who belong to a party dominated by the PMC, were almost twice as likely to view socialism favorably (58%) as they were to view capitalism favorably (32%). Among college-educated Democrats, support for socialism was 71%. This shift in support is unprecedented in American history.

The PMC's Apostasy

The Ehrenreichs observed that in the mid-2000s, college-educated voters were more likely to be Republicans than Democrats. However, the PMC's current tilt towards the left is unprecedented. Many members of today's professional class are apostates, and this apostasy is worth taking seriously as a sign of an economic order that cannot seem to justify itself to its own public-relations arm.

Rich Kids in DSA

Gustavo Gordillo, a co-chair of New York City’s Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chapter, lives in a $1.5 million Brooklyn townhouse paid for by his father. Critics accuse him of benefiting from his father's largesse while railing against the rich and property ownership. Other prominent DSA members, such as Zohran Mamdani and Graham Platner, have also faced accusations of privilege.

The DSA Membership Survey

The DSA's most recent membership survey found that 77% of members were white and that more than 80% of members 25 years or older held at least an undergraduate degree. This suggests that DSA is not representative of the broader working class.