Black Rural Consciousness: How Location Influences African-American Political Behavior

Abstract

Most studies on African-American political attitudes has observed how racial group identity acts as heuristic for public opinion through linked fate. The conventional wisdom is that African Americans who perceive their individual fates to be tied to those of their racial group are more likely to rely on group-based interests rather than economic self-interests when they make political decisions. However, these studies fail to contextualize African-American public opinion, particularly how location shapes political attitudes. We extend the dialogue to rural Black voters, and their distinct policy attitudes. Our core claim is that location, particularly rural residency, can lead to unique opinions among black rural voters. Is place – particularly the rural localities of the US – fostering a unique policy perspective unaccounted for Black public opinion? Using the 1972-2014 General Social Survey, we explore the way in which place-based identity operates in the context of rural working-class African American voters on social policies and racialized issue items. Interviews with African-American rural residents in Michigan, Mississippi, Illinois are also used to provide more in-depth observation of their political attitudes. We find that locality context may be a driver of Blacks policy preferences on government spending, distinguishing between rural Black American voters and urban Black voters.

Keywords: Black Politics, Place, Behavior, Rural Voters