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The Dynamics of Racial Resentment across the 50 US States

Publication ,  Journal Article
Smith, CW; Kreitzer, RJ; Suo, F
Published in: Perspectives on Politics
June 2020

Although many scholars who study the role of racial animus in Americans’ political attitudes and policy preferences do so to help us understand national-level politics, (racialized) policy is largely shaped at the state level. States are laboratories of policy innovation whose experiments can exacerbate or ameliorate racial inequality. In this article, we develop state-level scores of racial resentment. By using linear multilevel regression and poststratification weighting techniques and by linking nationally representative survey data with US Census data, we create time-varying, dynamic state-level estimates of racial resentment from 1988 to 2016. These measures enable us to explore the extent to which subnational levels of racial attitudes fluctuate over time and to provide a comparative analysis of state-level racial resentment scores across space and time. We find that states’ levels of racial animus change slowly, with some exhibiting increases over time while others do just the opposite. Southern states’ reputation for having the highest levels of racial resentment has been challenged by states across various regions of the United States. Many states had their lowest levels of symbolic racism decades ago, contrary to the traditional American narrative of racial progress.

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Published In

Perspectives on Politics

DOI

EISSN

1541-0986

ISSN

1537-5927

Publication Date

June 2020

Volume

18

Issue

2

Start / End Page

527 / 538

Publisher

Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Related Subject Headings

  • Political Science & Public Administration
  • 4408 Political science
  • 1606 Political Science
 

Citation

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Smith, C. W., Kreitzer, R. J., & Suo, F. (2020). The Dynamics of Racial Resentment across the 50 US States. Perspectives on Politics, 18(2), 527–538. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1537592719002688
Smith, Candis Watts, Rebecca J. Kreitzer, and Feiya Suo. “The Dynamics of Racial Resentment across the 50 US States.” Perspectives on Politics 18, no. 2 (June 2020): 527–38. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1537592719002688.
Smith CW, Kreitzer RJ, Suo F. The Dynamics of Racial Resentment across the 50 US States. Perspectives on Politics. 2020 Jun;18(2):527–38.
Smith, Candis Watts, et al. “The Dynamics of Racial Resentment across the 50 US States.” Perspectives on Politics, vol. 18, no. 2, Cambridge University Press (CUP), June 2020, pp. 527–38. Crossref, doi:10.1017/s1537592719002688.
Smith CW, Kreitzer RJ, Suo F. The Dynamics of Racial Resentment across the 50 US States. Perspectives on Politics. Cambridge University Press (CUP); 2020 Jun;18(2):527–538.
Journal cover image

Published In

Perspectives on Politics

DOI

EISSN

1541-0986

ISSN

1537-5927

Publication Date

June 2020

Volume

18

Issue

2

Start / End Page

527 / 538

Publisher

Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Related Subject Headings

  • Political Science & Public Administration
  • 4408 Political science
  • 1606 Political Science