Research on the Limits of Black Racial Group Identification in American Politics
The Minority Post-Doctoral research project seeks to examine on the limits of Black racial group identification in shaping African American's opinions about politics. Under the supervision of Dr. Larry Bartels of Princeton University, this research project will examine whether and how Blacks' understandings and levels of support for public policies and political figures are shaped by cues to Black racial group interest in political communication. Building on insights from the literatures on racial priming and Black politics, the research will offer a theoretically grounded account of the effect of racial cues on Black Americans' opinions about politics. Two central remaining questions motivate the research proposal. First, in the absence of cues to racial group interest, does race play any role in Blacks' political decision-making on ostensibly non-racial subjects? Second, what do Blacks do with messages that cue a conflict between Black racial group interest and their other political predispositions? The research will examine these questions by using a set of laboratory experiments to gain empirical leverage on these questions. Working under the supervision of Dr. Bartels, the research experience provided by this fellowship will provide the researcher enhanced statistical methods training and behavioral political science research skills. Also the interactions with Dr. Bartels' Center or the Study of Democratic Politics and the Princeton University Department of Politics will provide the researcher the opportunity to engage in a vibrant intellectual community.
