Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? Racial/Ethnic Context and the Anglo Vote on Proposition 187

• Published in: Social science quarterly 2000-03, Vol.81 (1), p.194-206
• Main Authors: Hood, M. V., Morris, Irwin L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access; Asians; Attitudes; Bills; California; Censuses; Controversy; Ethnic Relations; Ethnicity; Health Care Services; Hispanics; Illegal immigrants; Illegal immigration; Immigrants; Immigration Policy; Intergroup Relations; Law (Proposition 187); Legislation; Political aspects; Political attitudes; Political behaviour; Political Culture; Political Ideologies; Political partisanship; Political sociology; Polls; Population size; Public opinion; Public schools; Public Support; Race; Race Relations; Racial diversity; Referendums; Services; Social aspects; Social Conflict; Social Services; Sociodemographic Factors; Sociology; State Government (California); The Politics; U.S.A; Undocumented Immigrants; USA; Voter behavior; Voting; Voting Behavior; Voting behaviour; Welfare rights movement; White people; Whites
• ISSN: 0038-4941; 1540-6237

Objective. We estimate the extent to which Anglo support for California Ballot Proposition 187 was a function of intergroup conflict. Methods. Using a multi variate probit model, we estimate the effects of racial context, ideology, and demographic factors on exit-poll data for Anglo voting on Proposition 187. Results. We find no evidence that intergroup conflict played any role in Anglo vote choice on this issue. In contrast, we find that the dynamics associated with the contact hypothesis provide a useful explanation for the Anglo vote. Conclusions. Given the absence of an intergroup conflict result at the individual level, we must (1) provide an alternative explanation for aggregate-level results that does not rely on intergroup conflict or (2) identify the intergroup conflict dynamic that works only at the aggregate level.