Perceptions of threat occupy a central place in race relations Blumer's theory prejudice but few direct efforts to study such perceptions exist. Extending reasoning, we hypothesize that are driven by group's feelings racial alienation within the larger social order The more members particular group feel collectively oppressed and unfairly treated society, likely they perceive other groups as potential threats. We also examine whether spring from simple self-interest, orthodox negative...

A large literature has established a persistent association between the skills and resources citizens possess their likelihood of participating in politics. However, short-term motivational forces that cause to employ those expend one election but not next have only recently received attention. Findings political psychology suggest specific emotions may play an important role mobilization, question “which what role?” remains area debate. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory Affective...

Recent evidence suggests that elites can capitalize on preexisting linkages between issues and social groups to alter the criteria citizens use make political decisions. In particular, studies have shown subtle racial cues in campaign communications may activate attitudes, thereby altering foundations of mass decision making. However, precise psychological mechanism by which such attitudes are activated has not been empirically demonstrated, range implicit powerful enough produce this effect...

In this study we explore the mediating role of emotions in process becoming a politically informed citizen. Contrary to previous studies, expect that anger and anxiety will have much different effects on process. We suspect is somewhat unique even among negative as mediator causal effect political threats information seeking learning. addition, speculate should improve quality seeking, not just its quantity. one experiment, induce directly find while anger, enthusiasm, can lead people claim...

▪ Abstract The study of race and U.S. politics has always been controversial in the discipline. Theory evidence are often ignored or misconstrued. Furthermore, literatures that examine impact have developed relative isolation from one another. We try to address this shortcoming here. research on influence political attitudes, behavior, institutions both blacks whites. Our focus is partisanship, voting, policy opinions, representation. identify linkages across these domains then discuss...

The rise of the Internet forces scholars to reevaluate frequency and nature political information seeking in contemporary period. functionality makes passive exposure more difficult, selective easier, than past. However, people may also use a new directed way—to arm themselves with express defend their views either online or real world. central question we explore this paper is what explains balanced versus biased era Internet? We combine insights from Sears Freedman (1967 ) newer work on...

A number of political commentators and social scientists have speculated about the implications election Barack Obama for race relations. Some more optimistic suggested that 2008 demonstrated Whites’ racial attitudes undergone a fundamental transformation. In this article, I seek to determine whether putative transformation has extended levels support policies designed alleviate inequality, role prejudice in shaping these policy preferences or not influenced presidential vote choice 2008....

Previous research has suggested that exposure to political advertising is generally informative and may even reduce information gaps between the most least aware in society, but does not produce large shifts candidate preference. Drawing on extant models of opinion change, we predicted informational benefits ads would vary by level awareness, such experience largest gains, especially when they are asked make inferences about issues explicitly discussed ad. Further, use advertisements as a...

According to the issue salience hypothesis, citizens tend acquire information on subjects they perceive as important. However, past efforts demonstrate this have been mixed. I argue that is because scholars often fail recognize importance of overlapping group memberships. maintain different memberships-a traditional proxy for salience-can cancel out effects if are in conflict. Some research has also shown cues political environment increase levels information. Extending line research,...

List of Figures vii Tables ix Preface xiii One Issue Importance, Political Context, and Democratic Responsiveness 1 Two Local Press Coverage Congressional Roll Call Votes 18 Three Motivation, Selective Attentiveness to the Clarence Thomas Confirmation Vote 35 Four Perceptions Importance Campaign 54 Five Priming Issues during Senate Campaigns 75 Six Candidate Distinctiveness in Gubernatorial Elections 95 Seven Participation 117 Eight The Role Public Opinioninthe Process 131 Notes 143...

Since the first half of twentieth century, whites have become much more accepting principle racial equality even as they continued to endorse negative stereotypes about African-Americans. Some scholars argue that this ambivalence has been exploited by contemporary political elites who learned fashion subtle appeals activate these latent attitudes without appearing violate widely held norms equality. This strategy dubbed priming. In brief article, we summarize and evaluate work in area, with...

Researchers have argued that explicit racial appeals are rejected in contemporary American politics because they perceived as violating the norm of equality. We test this claim with an experimental design, embedded a representative survey Georgia where, until recently, state flag featured Confederate battle emblem. In our experiment, we manipulate salience cues news accounts controversy Georgia. hypothesize women more likely than men to reject appeals. focus on effects messages two areas:...

The relationship between black constituency size and congressional support for interests has two important attributes: magnitude stability. Although previous research examined the first characteristic, scant attention been directed at second. This article examines district racial composition voting patterns with a particular emphasis on stability of across different types votes districts. We hypothesize that, among white Democrats, influence will be less stable in South, owing part to this...

Recent studies have shown that social "compassion" issues, and not those directly linked to women's interests, seem drive the gender gap in presidential vote choice. Some of these compassion issues are associated with plight racial minorities media minds average citizens. Drawing on theories role socialization, we predict traditional partisan stands may help explain gap. Specifically, hypothesize emerges because men women react differently cues about how compassionate candidates toward...

Abstract Previous research has shown that racial or ethnic prejudice is one of the most influential antecedents opposition to more expansive immigration policies. In this paper, we explore whether a theoretical perspective derived from group position model might represent an additional and complementary explanation for attitudes. We also compare how well models explain attitudes among both White Black Americans. Most previous work in literature focuses solely on Whites’ attitudes, it remains...

Abstract This project seeks theoretical and methodological advances in the study of political advertising effects during election campaigns. On side, we hypothesize that racial cues embedded standard appeals, involving taxation government spending, boost opinion constraint by priming global ideology. replicate a lab experiment face-toface interviews with probability sample large metropolitan area. Results suggest subtle race do increase issue for "racialized" issues such as welfare,...

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