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

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Mar 22nd, 3:15 PM Mar 22nd, 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.