Which Families Deserve a Break? How Race and Class Shape Support for the U.S. Child Tax Credit

• In Event: Perspectives on Political Science Challenges Lightning Round

Abstract

In 2021, millions of families in the United States received a new, enhanced child tax credit. The Child Tax Credit was part of the American Rescue Plan, and while its extension was debated in Congress, it was ultimately unsuccessful. This policy was notable in its near universality, in that it included a tax credit available to families at vastly different socio-economic levels. The Child Tax Credit, being so expansive, provided intriguing flexibility in terms of how news media opted to cover the policy itself and how American families were benefiting from the credit. Did it matter which families were highlighted as recipients? What happened to Americans' support for this particular tax benefit when recipients' race and social class were emphasized in news coverage? My research analyzes a survey of approximately 600 MTurk respondents, which was conducted January of 2022. The questionnaire evaluated respondents’ socio-economic and demographic backgrounds, beliefs about the Child Tax Credit, and other relevant beliefs about politics. The questionnaire also included a 3 x 2 embedded experiment that presented fabricated news stories on American families benefiting from the policy, which emulated actual media coverage. By highlighting families in the stories’ texts and featured images, the design manipulated emphasis on different demographic groups that intersect race (latinx vs. black vs. white) and class (affluent vs. poor). My analysis connects the findings to a broader analysis of social welfare policies and how to cultivate public support for inclusive policies in the current economic and political context.

Author

• Alina Oxendine, Hamline University