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Critics have long feared that America's winner-take-all electoral system would undermine the interests of minorities. Unfortunately, few available tests broadly assess how well minorities fare in a democracy. To gauge winners and losers in the American case, I introduce a new measure of representation. For any election, I count up how many voters from each demographic group vote for a candidate that loses. After comparing this new measure to its alternatives, I use data from the entire series of Voter News Service exit polls and a sample of mayoral elections to determine which kinds of voters end up losers. I find that across the range of American elections, African Americans are consistently more likely than other groups to end up losers, raising questions about equity in American democracy. The one exception to the pattern of black failure—congressional House elections—suggests ways to better incorporate minority interests.

Despite the hopes of the civil rights movement, researchers have found that the election of African Americans to office has not greatly improved the well-being of the black community. This study focuses on the white community, however, and finds that black leadership can have a profound effect. Under black mayors there is positive change in the white vote and in the racial sentiments expressed by members of the white electorate. Although white Republicans seem largely immune to the effects of black incumbency, for Democrats and independents an experience with a black mayoralty tends to decrease racial tension, increase racial sympathy, and increase support of black leadership.

Despite the hopes of the civil rights movement, researchers have found that the election of Afriean Americans to office has not greatly improved the well-being of the black community. This study focuses on the white community, however, and finds that black leadership can have a profound effect. Under black mayors there is positive change in the white vote and in the racial sentiments expressed by members of the white electorate. Although white Republicans seem largely immune to the effects of black incumbency, for Democrats and independents an experience with a black mayoralty tends to decrease racial tension, increase racial sympathy, and increase support of black leadership. (American Political Science Review / FUB)

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Figures and Tables -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1 Introduction -- Chapter 2 Party Identification: The Historical and Ontological Origins of a Concept -- Chapter 3 Identity, Ideology, Information, and the Dimensionality of Nonpartisanship -- Chapter 4 Leaving the Mule Behind: Independents and African American Partisanship -- Chapter 5 What Does It Mean to Be a Partisan? -- Chapter 6 The Sequential Logic of Latino and Asian American Partisanship -- Chapter 7 Beyond the Middle: Ambivalence, Extremism, and White Nonpartisans -- Chapter 8 The Electoral Implications of Nonpartisanship -- Chapter 9 Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Z

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Illustrations -- Tables -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- PART I. Theory -- PART II. Views on Immigration and Defection to the Republican Party -- PART III. Understanding the Roots of the Backlash -- PART IV. The Consequences -- References -- Index