What caused the shift of America's political "center"?

[Douglas Carpenter]

15. the collapse of the industrial base thus causing the collapse of the political power of the unions

The unions in modern industrialized capitalist democracies have for the entire 20th Century been the peoples' lobby - the counterbalance in political power to the raw power of capital. Not only advocating higher wages for their members but the prime driving force behind the New Deal, the Great Society and almost all progressive legislation. They were also the educator of the working class - raising their political and class consciousness - persuading their people and providing the foot soldiers for advancing a progressive agenda.

Globalization not only moved jobs first south into anti-union territory and then across boarders to avoid the salary demands of even non-union labor. This not only takes away the jobs - it castrates the unions of their fundamental leverage power - the ability to withdraw labor supply - When capital power can with a click of a button get their orders filled in China or India at a cheaper price - what leverage do the industrial unions have anymore?

In 1960 more than 30% of working Americans were Union members. In 1980 it was down to about 20%. Today it is somewhere around 7% to 8%