Explaining Racial Attitudes: Race, Political Identity, Education, and Religious Outgrouping

Abstract

This analysis investigates favorable racial attitudes toward blacks. Blacks and educated politically progressive whites tend to have such favorable attitudes. Due to cultural polarization, the rejection of conservative Christians may be tied to favorable racial attitudes among educated progressive whites. This study examines the possibility that political identity and religious outgrouping are connected to favorable racial attitudes of educated progressive whites. The dataset is drawn from the 2020 American National Elections Survey, a nationally representative survey in the United States that asks about a range of political issues and attitudes ( n = 8,178). The key construct of interest is racial attitudes, specifically favorable attitudes toward black Americans. This is measured as an index of five questions regarding survey respondent views of black hiring preferences, special favors, slavery difficulties, deservingness, and trying hard. Attitudes of warmth toward conservative Christians are inversely related to supporting favorable racial attitudes among educated white progressives. However, warmth toward conservative Christians are not related to favorable racial attitudes among black Americans. Favorable racial attitudes can result from outgrouping needs of perceived politically and religiously abhorrent social identities. Polarization may result in educated political progressives supporting blacks.