Home > Our Blog > National Survey Looks at Racial Attitudes in the US

Blog Post

National Survey Looks at Racial Attitudes in the US

Posted October 19, 2010 by Patrick Young, Esq.
Categories: National

A national survey released today investigates the impact of the 2008 presidential election, highlighting persistent racial divisions in American society in addition to other topics related to the election. The survey, by the University of Chicago’s Mobilization, Change, and Political and Civic Engagement Project, used polling, panels, and in-depth interviews to examine how Americans view the government, race, and other important policy issues, including immigration.

The results showed that few whites—only 18 percent—view the growth of minorities as strengthening the country, compared with half of blacks, and two-thirds of Latinos.

Almost half of whites believe that racial profiling helps to keep the US safe from terrorism, a view rejected by most non-whites. Using comparative data, the report says that support for racial profiling is growing in the post-Obama election period.

The survey also looked at whether Latinos are getting more involved in civic life and the political process.

“When it came to listening to news about the [2008] presidential campaign, Latino immigrants in both age categories paid as much attention to the news as American-born citizens,” according to a summary of the findings. “The majority of immigrants were engaged in political conversations within their private spheres to the same degree that whites, blacks and Asian and Latino citizens were…”

There were significant differences between Latinos and other Americans in where they got their civic information from. While roughly half of whites and Asian-Americans use the Internet to learn about the political process, only a third of Latinos do so. Latinos are much more likely than other groups to rely on the radio for news.

Image from the Mobilization, Change, and Political and Civic Engagement Project.

Tags : 2008, and political and civic engagement project, change, immigration, mobilization, obama, race, survey, university of chicago

Permalink Comments