As the most vocal politicians have become more centrally integrated in policy networks, the overall tone of minority discussions has also changed in Congress. The political discourse has become more sensitive to racial issues and, writ large, the cordial “nice speech” driven by political correctness has grown. Of course, we have the occasional racist rants and insensitive speech that rise to the forefront and gain national attention, but these episodes are few and far between. Overall, politicians who speak about race in the 21st century openly embrace the idea of racial equity and racial progress.

Yet among the greatest fears citizens have, especially members of marginalized groups who do not comprise a majority, is that political rhetoric is meaningless, or that politicians use language to disguise their true policy intentions. This chapter seeks to understand whether Congress members’ appeals to racial and ethnic minorities are mirrored in their policy actions or are just empty words.

Political discourse can be used to inform and to rally support for minority issues, but it can also be used by politicians to intentionally misrepresent their policy preferences. The conflicting messages sent by Representative Broun's attempt in 2012 to gut funding from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 while denouncing racial discrimination exemplify the duality that exists between political rhetoric and public policy.