Very few lawmakers in the US or in other democracies have worked in jobs such as construction, restaurant service, trucking or clerical work before entering politics. Researchers estimate that about half of American workers hold working-class jobs, but only about 1% of state legislators and members of Congress came from them. Across 97 democracies, the average national legislature draws only about 2% of its members from working-class jobs. The researchers found that working-class candidates are about as qualified and as likely to win as white-collar candidates. The main barrier is that they rarely run, because campaigning costs time, income and personal security, and party recruiters tend to favour professionals.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.