TESTING THE THEORY OF THE NEW CLASS

This article tests the theory that a post-industrial economic order gives rise to an elite which has a class interest in the expansion of government: the New Class. Cluster analysis of large national surveys reveals the existence of such a group, identifiable by liberal policy preferences and a pattern of group identifications which clearly distinguish it from the traditional middle and working classes. This New Class is concentrated in the professions, and among those with high levels of education.