The centrality of race in American politics

Abstract

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