Racial Resentment, Old-Fashioned Racism, And The Vote Choice Of Southern And Nonsouthern Whites In The 2012 U.S. Presidential Election

Abstract

Objective: The effects of racial attitudes on the vote choice of whites in the 2012 U.S. presidential election are examined, with a specific focus on the simultaneous effects of both racial resentment and old-fashioned racial prejudice. Methods: Data are taken from the 2012 American National Election Study (ANES). Models of vote choice are estimated separately for southern and nonsouthern whites. Results: Findings show that racial resentment alone affected the vote choice of southern whites, but among nonsouthern whites both racial resentment and old-fashioned racism exerted independent effects on vote choice. Furthermore, it was among independents that the effects of racial attitudes were most visible. Conclusions: Overall, it is estimated that racial attitudes cost Obama support among white voters, and likely made his victories in a number of swing states a lot closer than they would have been absent the effects of racial attitudes. Consistent with prior literature, findings also demonstrate that the election of the first African-American president has primed old-fashioned racial prejudice.

Publication Date

12-1-2015

Publication Title

Social Science Quarterly

Volume

96

Issue

4

Number of Pages

905-922

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12184

Socpus ID

84946480402 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84946480402

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