White Residents, Black Incumbents, and a Declining Racial Divide

Despite the hopes of the civil rights movement, researchers have found that the election of African Americans to office has not greatly improved the well-being of the black community. This study focuses on the white community, however, and finds that black leadership can have a profound effect. Unde...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American political science review 2001-09, Vol.95 (3), p.603-617
Main Author: Hajnal, Zoltan L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African American Leadership
African Americans
Attitudes
Black communities
Black mayors
Black people
Black public officials
Black White Relations
Candidates
City halls
Community
Election results
Equal Education
Fear & phobias
Government and politics
Hypotheses
Incumbency
Incumbents
Interethnic relations
Leadership
Mayors
Party politics
Political activities
Political attitudes
Political behaviour
Political candidates
Political leadership
Political power
Political representation
Political science
Prejudice
Race
Race relations
Racial aspects
Racial Attitudes
Racial Relations
Racism
Right and Left
Social impact
State elections
Stereotypes
U.S.A
United States
United States of America
Voter behavior
Voters
Voting
White people
Whites
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Summary:Despite the hopes of the civil rights movement, researchers have found that the election of African Americans to office has not greatly improved the well-being of the black community. This study focuses on the white community, however, and finds that black leadership can have a profound effect. Under black mayors there is positive change in the white vote and in the racial sentiments expressed by members of the white electorate. Although white Republicans seem largely immune to the effects of black incumbency, for Democrats and independents an experience with a black mayoralty tends to decrease racial tension, increase racial sympathy, and increase support of black leadership.
ISSN:0003-0554
1537-5943
DOI:10.1017/S0003055401003033