Yasmine Mani
MA1CS
Summary of:
God's party?
Race,Religion and Partisanship over time
by Eric L. McDaniel
Christopher G. Ellison
University of Texas at Austin
The authors of this article aim at showing how religious groups partner with political parties.The study also examines the reasons behind the exodus of one racial/ethnic group from one party to the other.The survey consists in establishing a theoretical framework for understanding why religious conservatives of varying race and ethnicity may differ in terms of their partisanship.The basic argument is that the interpretation of the Bible depends on the cultural and communal contexts resulting in a Literal Vs Non Literal interpretation of the Bible. Specifically, the findings show that Anglos, Latinos and blacks differ with respect to their use of Biblical literalism to determine their partisanship. This assumption is tested to ultimately show the effect of literalism on political attitudes and the way they are influenced by the racial/ethnic background of the individual.
Race/Ethnicity and Partisanship
Race is the major split on party identification. It is believed that the Republican party (GOP) is the party for Anglos, while the Democratic party is the party for racial minorities, like blacks and Latinos.
Back in time, African-Americans were strong supporters of the Republican party, since it was Lincoln's party. The Anglos were Democrats. However, in 1936, these two groups started shifting their allegiances. African-Americans on the one hand, shifted to the Democratic party. On the other hand, Anglos started supporting the Republican party. This shift was mainly related to civil rights.
Attempts by the Republican party to regain voters:
+Blacks :
- The adoption of new economic policies to lure the middle class.
- The introduction of black members in the party: Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.
- Playing on values: the opposition of gay marriage and abortion.
=> These attempts...