POST-RACIAL OR MOST-RACIAL? by Michael Tesler ( 9780226353012 )

Item Details

Title:

POST-RACIAL OR MOST-RACIAL?
RACE AND POLITICS IN THE OBAMA ERA

By:

Michael Tesler

Format:

Paperback

List price:

£24.00

Our price:

£21.60

Discount:

10% off

You save:

£2.40

ISBN 10:

022635301X

ISBN 13:

9780226353012

Availability:

Usually dispatched within 1-3 weeks.

Delivery rates

Stock:

Currently 0 available

Publisher:

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS

Pub. date:

4 April, 2016

Series:

Chicago Studies in American Politics

Pages:

272

Description:

"Most Racial" starts where Michael Tesler and David Sears last book--"Obama s Race," the story of the 2008 presidential election leaves off. Tesler s new book will provide the definitive account of the role of racial attitudes in mass politics during the Obama presidency. It tells the story of how, when, and why a wide swath of Americans became significantly more polarized by racial considerations than they had been before Barack Obama s ascendancy and in spite of his administration s strenuous efforts to neutralize the political impact of race. Rather than ushering in a new, post-racial era, the first black presidency in history has ironically resulted in the most-racial era of modern times Marshalling a vast amount of observational and experimental survey data, Tesler shows how racial attitudes have spilled over to influence so many aspects of mass political decision making. These range from people s evaluations of presidential candidates and their partisan attachments, to seemingly non-racially related issues such as preferences about public policy and their subjective evaluations of objective economic conditions. Anti-black attitudes, for example, became a significantly stronger predictor of opposition to governmental health care after Obama became the face of the policy. Some people even had more positive feelings toward Obama s dog, Bo, when told it was John Kerry s dog. Most broadly, Tesler argues that this racialization of our politics is behind both a growing partisan division between racially liberal and racially conservative white and an expanding political divide between white and non-white Americans that could shape our politics for years to come. It is, according to our reviewer, certainly one of the most important books on racial politics to ever appear in the United States. "

Synopsis:

When Barack Obama won the presidency, many posited that we were entering into a post-racial period in American politics. Regrettably, the reality hasn't lived up to that expectation. Instead, Americans' political beliefs have become significantly more polarized by racial considerations than they had been before Obama's presidency-in spite of his administration's considerable efforts to neutralize the political impact of race. Michael Tesler shows how, in the years that followed the 2008 election-a presidential election more polarized by racial attitudes than any other in modern times-racial considerations have come increasingly to influence many aspects of political decision making. These range from people's evaluations of prominent politicians and the parties to issues seemingly unrelated to race like assessments of public policy or objective economic conditions. Some people even displayed more positive feelings toward Obama's dog, Bo, when they were told he belonged to Ted Kennedy. More broadly, Tesler argues that the rapidly intensifying influence of race in American politics is driving the polarizing partisan divide and the vitriolic atmosphere that has come to characterize American politics. One of the most important books on American racial politics in recent years, Post-Racial or Most-Racial? is required reading for anyone wishing to understand what has happened in the United States during Obama's presidency and how it might shape the country long after he leaves office.

Publication:

Imprint:

University of Chicago Press

Returns:

Returnable

Some other items by this author:

IDENTITY CRISIS

IDENTITY CRISIS (HB)

OBAMA'S RACE (HB)

OBAMA'S RACE (PB)

POST-RACIAL OR MOST-RACIAL? (HB)