The Political Geography of Black Politics

• In Event: You Know What They Say About All Politics Being Local

Abstract

Where one lives and who one lives near has been to shown to have a powerful impact on a variety of political attitudes. Extant research suggests that Blacks’ perception of their neighborhood quality influences their level of linked fate as well as the extent to which they believe discriminat ion shapes American life (e.g. Gay 2004). We build on this research both theoretically and methodologically. We recently commissioned questions that not only measure Black linked-fate, but also that provide an affective evaluation of that link. Do Blacks see their link to others as a source of pride or a liability? How does their everyday neighborhood context influence these attitudes? By using data from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (which includes a sample of over 3,000 Blacks) as well as spatial analysis with Geographic Information Systems, we are able to merge together respondents’ perceptions of neighborhood quality and their political attitudes and behaviors with objective U.S. Census measurements of neighborhood well-being. We examine whether and to what extent actual and perceived neighborhood context shapes a core predictor of Black politics—linked fate—as well as their political priorities, political engagement, perceptions of in equality, and their beliefs about other racial groups.

Authors

• Candis Watts Smith, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

• Tehama Lopez Bunyasi, George Mason University

• Hannah Walker, Rutgers University, New Brunswick