Racial-Ethnic Politics in US

Catalog description

This course examines the profound role race plays in American politics. Topics covered include the construction of political identity among Asian, Black, Latino, Native, and White Americans; the politics of immigration and acculturation; and the influence of racial identity on public opinion, voting behavior, the media, social movements, and in the justice system. We will tackle questions such as: What makes a political campaign ad 'racist?' Why did Donald Trump's support among Black, Latino, and Asian voters increase from 2016 to 2020? Are undocumented immigrants really more likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens? How can we measure whether there is racial bias in policing? What do we even mean when we use the terms 'race' and 'ethnicity' - and how have the definitions of identity groups evolved over time? Throughout, students will be pushed to carefully evaluate data-based claims, critically analyze their own assumptions, and bring to bear empirical evidence to support their arguments in an inclusive learning environment. Prior coursework in Statistics or Economics strongly recommended.