Poster Session II
Project Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Andrew Thompson
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Sociology & Criminology
Abstract / Artist's Statement
As scholars and democratic observers warn of democratic backsliding and authoritarian governance in the United States, one leading explanation is that historical and enduring racial hierarchies shape racial attitudes that influence democratic support. The need to precisely measure support for democratic ideals and institutions has become critical to understand the precise influences currently causing the backsliding here and around the globe. Building on recent scholarly elucidations distinguishing abstract from concrete democracy, this study uses the 2024 ANES study to examine the relationship between various racial attitudes and support for abstract and concrete democracy separately. I also examine interactions between racial attitudes and political beliefs. Findings show that racial resentment and white identity do not predict support for abstract democracy, while white identity predicts support for concrete democracy. Racial attitudes do not substantively explain partisan differences in support for specific democracy, however, despite right-wing ideology moderating the effect of racial attitudes. Conservative Republicans are less supportive of specific democracy, but their lower support is not strongly influenced by racial attitudes. Conversely, racial attitudes are especially influential for liberal democrats. These results are salient as previous studies have found support for authoritarian governance on the conservative side of political ideological spectrum.
Category
Social Sciences
Distinguishing Abstract and Concrete Democracy: Racial Attitudes and Democratic Support in the United States
UC South Ballroom
As scholars and democratic observers warn of democratic backsliding and authoritarian governance in the United States, one leading explanation is that historical and enduring racial hierarchies shape racial attitudes that influence democratic support. The need to precisely measure support for democratic ideals and institutions has become critical to understand the precise influences currently causing the backsliding here and around the globe. Building on recent scholarly elucidations distinguishing abstract from concrete democracy, this study uses the 2024 ANES study to examine the relationship between various racial attitudes and support for abstract and concrete democracy separately. I also examine interactions between racial attitudes and political beliefs. Findings show that racial resentment and white identity do not predict support for abstract democracy, while white identity predicts support for concrete democracy. Racial attitudes do not substantively explain partisan differences in support for specific democracy, however, despite right-wing ideology moderating the effect of racial attitudes. Conservative Republicans are less supportive of specific democracy, but their lower support is not strongly influenced by racial attitudes. Conversely, racial attitudes are especially influential for liberal democrats. These results are salient as previous studies have found support for authoritarian governance on the conservative side of political ideological spectrum.