Why Americans support union rights: 5 theories

A clear majority of Americans back the kind of collective bargaining rights that Gov. Scott Walker is trying to strip from Wisconsin labor unions, says a Gallup poll. Why?

Americans have a fondness for schoolteachers, which may be one reason why a majority of continue to support unions.
(Image credit: Getty)

It's still unclear who will prevail in Wisconsin's stand-off over labor union rights — but the American people seem to have chosen which side they're on. According to a USA Today/Gallup poll, 61 percent of Americans would oppose a law in their state taking away the collective bargaining power of public employee unions. Just 33 percent said they would support such a law. The public was more evenly split on labor unions themselves — 46 percent said they were "harmful" to states, while 45 percent said they were "helpful." The poll appears to show, says USA Today, that "Americans are reluctant to take away something that unions have already." Why?

1. Americans support fundamental rights for workers

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