Black Voting Patterns: Do Voters Vote for Black Women?
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Keywords
Black Women; Voter Turnout; Congress
Department
Political Science
Major
Political Science; French Studies
Abstract
The United States Congress is meant to be an establishment that represents the U.S. population within the government. With 7.7% of the population being Black women, their existence as less than 1% of our congressional branch is puzzling. Previous scholarship on voter turnout and congressional representation focus on the overall representation of a minority population without reference to the potential impact gender might also play. I leverage election data from the 112th Congress to the 118th as well as voter turnout records to answer the following questions: What is the differential impact of gender on voter turnout for Black candidates for the United States Congress? Is there a racialized gender differential between Black men and women within Congressional elections? Through linear regression analysis I found voter turnout increases when a woman is on the ballot, and it decreases when there is a Black man. However, for Black women, the increase in turnout for being female and the decrease for being Black cancel out and there is no change in voter turnout. This research will address the impact of race and gender on voter turnout and aim to better understand the racial and gender makeup of the United States Congress.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Kendrick Roberson
Funding Source or Research Program
Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiative
Location
Black Family Plaza Classroom 189
Start Date
22-3-2024 3:15 PM
End Date
22-3-2024 3:30 PM
Black Voting Patterns: Do Voters Vote for Black Women?
Black Family Plaza Classroom 189
The United States Congress is meant to be an establishment that represents the U.S. population within the government. With 7.7% of the population being Black women, their existence as less than 1% of our congressional branch is puzzling. Previous scholarship on voter turnout and congressional representation focus on the overall representation of a minority population without reference to the potential impact gender might also play. I leverage election data from the 112th Congress to the 118th as well as voter turnout records to answer the following questions: What is the differential impact of gender on voter turnout for Black candidates for the United States Congress? Is there a racialized gender differential between Black men and women within Congressional elections? Through linear regression analysis I found voter turnout increases when a woman is on the ballot, and it decreases when there is a Black man. However, for Black women, the increase in turnout for being female and the decrease for being Black cancel out and there is no change in voter turnout. This research will address the impact of race and gender on voter turnout and aim to better understand the racial and gender makeup of the United States Congress.