The extent and quality of African Americans’ representation in local, state, and federal government remains understudied. Political scientists Mia Costa and Tatishe Nteta will conduct a study to determine which policy issues have been racialized as Black. They will then analyze correspondence with state legislators to determine whether this racialization impacts legislators’ responsiveness to these issues.
For nearly 30 years, the Wake County Public County School System (WCPSS) in North Carolina operated an ambitious desegregation initiative, which included reassigning students to schools in order to achieve a target level of diversity in each of the county’s schools. However, in 2009, voters elected opponents of the efforts to the school board, who then ended the initiative the following year. Political scientist Deven Carlson and sociologist Thurston Domina will examine how school reassignments influenced voter participation over time.
Black women are disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system. Political scientist Sally Nuamah will examine how experiences with the criminal justice system impacts political participation among Black women. She will develop and conduct a survey for her study.
Despite increased attention to racial disparities in the justice system, we know little about how racial diversity on juries impacts jury deliberations. Political scientists Tali Mendelberg and Christopher Karpowitz will examine the influence of both White and non-White individuals on deliberations. They will analyze recordings and transcripts from mock juries for their study.
Despite widespread evidence of police brutality and misconduct, most White Americans have favorable views of the police. Political scientists Eunji Kim and Tyler Reny will examine the role of popular TV police dramas in shaping perceptions of police and the criminal justice system. They will analyze Nielsen ratings data, surveys, campaign advertisement data, and conduct experiments for their study.
The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has disrupted most areas of social and economic life, with disproportionate effects on service workers and low-income families. The negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may substantially reduce the financial, economic, social, mental, and physical wellbeing of disadvantaged workers and their families. Economists Sarah Miller, Alex Bartik, and Eva Vivalt, political scientist David Broockman, and social worker and political scientist Elizabeth Rhodes will examine the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income individuals and families.
Anger can be an important emotional force in politics. But do some groups cope differently when feeling angry about political issues? Drawing on social psychology theories, political scientists Jennifer Merolla, Antoine Banks, and Heather Hicks will examine how the coping strategies people pursue when confronted with political issues vary by race and gender. The researchers will run three online survey experiments specifically looking at the issue of employment discrimination.
American policing is commonly racist and repressive in nature. Calls for policing reform, even amidst mass protests, go largely unheeded. Existing literature on policing emphasize contemporary explanations to understand these issues such as the psychology of police officers and “tough on crime” voters and politicians. Political scientists Robert Mickey, Jacob M. Grumbach, and Daniel Ziblatt will examine historical factors that have contributed to development of current day policing.
Encounters between Black Americans and law enforcement highlight disparities in the nation’s criminal justice system. Racial differences in citizens’ interactions with the police fundamentally shape how Americans perceive high-profile instances of police use of force against Black Americans, including whether the officers’ actions were appropriate. Communications expert Joshua Pasek and political scientists Hakeem Jefferson and Fabian Neuner will examine the persisting racial divide in reactions to criminal justice encounters.