Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-p2v8j Total loading time: 0.001 Render date: 2024-05-22T00:58:19.729Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

White Voters, A Key Piece of the Puzzle: Education, Race, and Electoral Politics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 March 2018

DeeAnn Grove*
Affiliation:
Cornell College

Abstract

In 2004, Jennifer L. Hochschild challenged political scientists to give greater attention to education policy and politics. Although it challenges Hochschild’s interpretation of the politics of school vouchers, this article demonstrates her central assertion that the era of school desegregation continues to impact American politics. Internal campaign strategy documents from presidential election campaigns reveal how the two parties have arrived at different school voucher positions because of the different challenges each party faced as a result of the battle over school desegregation. Republican strategists were concerned that white voters believed their candidates did not care about people of color. Supporting vouchers for urban Black children allowed Republicans to reassure white voters of their racial sensitivity. In contrast, Democratic candidates were more concerned that they might alienate white voters by taking another position that seemed to pander to Black voters. Strategists’ perceptions of white voters’ attitudes toward education and race comprise the thread that connects the past to the present.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Axelrod, Robert. 1972. “Where the Votes Come From: An Analysis of Electoral Coalitions, 1952–1968.” American Political Science Review 66 (2): 1120.Google Scholar
Baumer, Donald C., and Gold, Howard J.. 2007. “Party Images and Partisan Resurgence.” Social Science Journal 44 (3): 465–79.Google Scholar
Belin, David W. 1975 (December). “Report: The Election of President Ford, Basic Strategy Paper No. 2.” Richard Cheney Files (Box 16, Folder “Belin, David”), Gerald Ford Library (hereafter “GFL”).Google Scholar
Cambridge Survey Research. 1976 (June 28). “Report to Governor Jimmy Carter.” Jody Powell Papers (Box 18, Folder “CSR: Stands of the American People on the Issue 6/28/76”), Jimmy Carter Library.Google Scholar
Clinton, William J. 1992 (July 16). “Speech: Address Accepting the Presidential Nomination at the Democratic National Convention in New York.” Online by Peters, Gerhard and Woolley, John T., The American Presidency Project. Available at www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=25958.Google Scholar
Cohen, Mike. 1996 (September 20). “Memorandum to Bruce Reed.” Bruce Reed: Education (Box 91, Folder “Education [OA 20162] [1]”), William Clinton Presidential Library (hereafter “WCPL”).Google Scholar
Dao, James. 2000. “The 2000 Campaign: The Texas Governor; Bush Welcomes Vouchers, but the Word Eludes Him.” New York Times, September 28.Google Scholar
Gore, Albert Jr.. 2000 (August 17). “Speech: Address Accepting the Presidential Nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.” Online by Peters, Gerhard and Woolley, John T., The American Presidency Project. Available at www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=25963.Google Scholar
Hannaford, Pete. 1980 (March 21). “Memorandum to Ed Meese.” Ronald Reagan: 1980 Campaign Papers (Box 103, Folder “Political Memos, March 1980”), Ronald Reagan Library.Google Scholar
Harper, Ed. 1972a (April 14). “Memorandum to Lew Engman, John Evans, Bud Krogh, Ed Morgan, and John Whitaker.” Nixon Presidential Returned Materials, White House Central Files: Staff Member and Office Files: Edwin L. Harper (Box 46, Folder “Domestic Council—Marketing (Selling) Domestic Policy), Richard Nixon Presidential Library (hereafter “RNPL”).Google Scholar
Harper, Ed. 1972b (April 10). “Memorandum to John Ehrlichman.” Nixon Presidential Returned Materials: White House Central Files: Staff Member and Office Files: Edwin L. Harper Returned (Box 48, Folder “Busing—1972 Campaign (2 of 4)”), RNPL.Google Scholar
Hayes, Danny. 2011. “When Gender and Party Collide: Stereotyping in Candidate Trait Attribution.” Politics & Gender 7 (2): 133–65.Google Scholar
Hillygus, D. Sunshine, and Shields, Todd G.. 2008. The Persuadable Voter: Wedge Issues in Presidential Campaigns. Princeton, NJ, and Oxford: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Hess, Frederick M., and McGuinn, Patrick J.. 2002. “Seeking the Mantle of ‘Opportunity’: Presidential Politics and the Educational Metaphor, 1964–2000.” Educational Policy 16 (1): 7295.Google Scholar
Hochschild, Jennifer L. 2004. “Three Puzzles in Search of an Answer from Political Scientists (With Apologies to Pirandello).” PS: Political Science & Politics 37 (2): 225–9.Google Scholar
Holmes, Norman L. 1968 (August 15). “Memorandum to the Vice President.” Hubert H. Humphrey Papers (Box 150.F.15.7B, Folder “PAF 1968 Camp. IVd Citizens”), Minnesota Historical Society (hereafter “MHS”).Google Scholar
Kolb, Charles E. M. 1990 (December 6). “Memorandum to Roger Porter.” Lee S. Liberman Files, White House Counsel’s Office, Bush Presidential Records (Box 7, OA/ID 45191, Folder “Civil Rights Legislation: Educational Choice”), George Bush Presidential Library (hereafter “GBPL”).Google Scholar
McCain, John. 2008 (September 4). “Address Accepting the Presidential Nomination at the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul.” Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=78576.Google Scholar
Campaign, McGovern. 1972. “Report: Analysis.” George S. McGovern Papers (Box 175, Folder “Polls 1972”), Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Libraries.Google Scholar
Melady, Thomas Patrick, and Lee, Graham. 1976 (June 25). “Letter to Myron B. Kuropas.” Michael Raoul-Duval Files (Box 27, Folder “Republican Party Platform—Catholic Issues”), GFL.Google Scholar
Mendelberg, Tali. 2001. The Race Card: Campaign Strategy, Implicit Messages, and the Norm of Equality. Princeton, NJ, and Oxford: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Norpoth, Helmut, and Buchanan, Bruce. 1992. “Wanted: The Education President: Issue Trespassing by Political Candidates.” American Association for Public Opinion Research 56 (1): 8799.Google Scholar
Petrocik, John R. 1987. “Realignment: New Party Coalitions and the Nationalization of the South.” Journal of Politics 49 (2): 347–75.Google Scholar
Philpot, Tasha S. 2004. “A Party of a Different Color? Race, Campaign Communication, and Party Politics.” Political Behavior 26 (3): 249–70.Google Scholar
Philpot, Tasha S. 2007. Race, Republicans, and the Return of the Party of Lincoln. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.Google Scholar
Porter, Roger B. 1989 (September 12). “Memorandum to the President.” John Sununu Files, White House Office of Chief of Staff, Bush Presidential Records (OA/ID 29154–00, Folder “Education Summit 1990”), GBPL.Google Scholar
Presidential Candidates Debate. 2000 (October 3). “Transcript: Presidential Debate in Boston.” Online by Peters, Gerhard and Woolley, John T., The American Presidency Project. Available at www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29418.Google Scholar
Presidential Candidates Debates. 2016a (October 9). “Transcript: Presidential Debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.” Online by Peters, Gerhard and Woolley, John T., The American Presidency Project. Available at www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=119038.Google Scholar
Presidential Candidates Debates. 2016b (October 19). “Transcript: Presidential Debate at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.” Online by Peters, Gerhard and Woolley, John T., The American Presidency Project. Available at www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=119039.Google Scholar
Quayle, Oliver, and Company. 1968 (September). “A Survey of the Race for President in Missouri, Vol. III.” Hubert H. Humphrey Papers (Box 150.F.15.7B, Folder “PAF 1968 Camp. IVd Citizens: Sub. Files: Polls: State Survey), MHS.Google Scholar
Ravitch, Diane. 1983. The Troubled Crusade: American Education 1945–1980. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Romney, Mitt. 2012 (May 23). “Speech: Remarks on Education at The Latino Coalition’s Annual Economic Summit in Washington, DC.” Online by Peters, Gerhard and Woolley, John T., The American Presidency Project. Available at www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=101160.Google Scholar
Shea, Dennis. 1996 (July 8). “Memorandum to Senator Dole.” Dole Campaign Papers (Box 163, Folder “Education, 1996 [1 of 2]”), Robert Dole Institute of Politics.Google Scholar
Snow, Tony. 1992 (March 5). “Memorandum to Jim Cicconi.” Tony Snow Files, White House Office of Speechwriting, Bush Presidential Records (Box 8, OA/ID 13899–005, Folder “[Snow-Memoranda, 2/92–1/93]”), GBPL.Google Scholar
Teeter, Robert. 1975 (December 24). “Memorandum to Richard Cheney.” Robert Teeter Papers (Box 63, Folder “12/24/75 to Dick Cheney—Overview of MOR National Poll”), GFL.Google Scholar
Thornton, Leslie T. 1996 (October 2). “Memorandum to the President.” Bruce Reed: Education (Box 96, [OA 20168] Folder “Vouchers”), WCPL.Google Scholar
Trump, Donald. 2016a (October 26). “Speech: Remarks at McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square in Charlotte, North Carolina.” Online by Peters, Gerhard and Woolley, John T., The American Presidency Project. Available at www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=119188.Google Scholar
Trump, Donald. 2016b (July 21). “Speech: Address Accepting the Presidential Nomination at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.” Online by Peters, Gerhard and Woolley, John T., The American Presidency Project. Available at www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=117935.Google Scholar
Trump, Donald. 2016c (September 8). “Speech: Remarks at the Cleveland Arts and Social Sciences Academy in Cleveland, Ohio.” Online by Peters, Gerhard and Woolley, John T., The American Presidency Project. Available at www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=119195.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Grove supplementary material 1

Appendix

Download Grove supplementary material 1(PDF)
PDF 109.9 KB