PS 199A: New Race Politics? The Politics of Race in the Obama Era
Spring 2010 (MW 11:40-12:55, Languages 208)
DUKE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
Professor Kerry L. Haynie
Office: 331 Perkins Library
Email: klhaynie@duke.edu
Office Hours: Mon 9:30-10:30;
4:15-5:15
Phone: 660-4366
Foreign migration to the United States and the growth in racial and ethnic
populations in relation to the size of the white population are dramatically
altering the demographic profile of the American electorate. Today more than 1
in 5 adults was born in another country, and nearly a third of all Americans are of
non-white and non-European descent. Immigration has altered the racial and
ethnic composition of every state in the nation, and the enormous influx of new Americans has
been disproportionately large in states with correspondingly large national electoral significance.
These changes have the potential to significantly reconfigure American democracy and American
politics in ways that were barely imaginable just 15-20 years ago. The political landscape of the
US is now populated with 3 racial and ethnic Groups who have the potential, either individually,
or as part of a coalition, to significantly alter politics as we currently know it. The election of
Barack Obama as the 44th President of the US is one example of the potentially transformative
power of these changes.
This course addresses the potential and substantive electoral, political, and social consequences of
these changing racial demographics. Among the topics that the course will examine are: the
behavior of minorities and immigrants as voters and political participants; the strategies used by
political parties and other organizations to mobilize new citizens and racial minorities to
participate in politics; the political psychology of group membership among members of racial
and ethnic minority groups, and the implications of this group consciousness for political
mobilization; and the consequences of this new racial and ethnic diversity for race relations and
public policy.
Course Requirements
Attendance and active participation from each student are absolute requirements. Class
members are expected to attend all class meetings and come prepared to participate in an indepth and analytical discussion of the assigned readings and daily topics. University classes
work best and are the most interesting when there are lively and focused conversations among all
the participants.
To help foster class discussion you are required to bring to class at least one question and/or
observation from the readings assigned for that day. You are expected to raise your question or
share your observation during class. I will collect the questions at the end of each class. They
will be checked for relevancy and sophistication.
1
Midterm Exam. There will be a midterm exam on or about the date noted on the class schedule
below. The actual date is subject to change with at least one week’s notice. The exam will consist
of short answer and essay questions.
2 7-10 page papers. You are required to complete two directed writing assignments. These
assignments will be distributed in class.
Final Exam. A semi-comprehensive final examination will be given during the final exam
period. The Registrar has scheduled the final exam for this course for May 5, 7-10pm.
The University Code of Academic Integrity (The Honor Code) is taken seriously in this
class. Violations or suspected violations will be reported to the proper authorities. Academic
dishonesty includes, but is not limited to both the giving and the receiving of improper assistance
on examinations and other graded work.
Plagiarism will be reported to the proper authorities and can affect your, academic standing in
this class and at Duke. Plagiarism is passing off someone else’s work as your own. Additionally
without expressed permission, you may not turn in the same piece of work (or part thereof) for
credit in multiple classes, either in the same semester or while at Duke in general. You are
responsible for familiarizing yourself with university policies regarding plagiarism and other
violations of academic integrity.
Final course grades will be based on: 1) Attendance and participation [10%]; 2) Midterm Exam
[25% each]; 3) Final Exam [25%]; 3) Papers [20% each]
Texts
Each of these required texts are available for purchase at the university textbook store.
1) Gillespie, Andra, editor. 2010. Whose Black Politics?: Cases in Post-Racial Black Leadership.
New York: Routledge.
2) Ifil, Gwen. 2009. The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama. New York:
Anchor Books.
3) Junn, Jane and Kerry L. Haynie. 2008. New Race Politics in America: Understanding Minority
and Immigrant Politics. New York: Cambridge University Press.
4) McClain, Paula D. and Joseph Stewart Jr. 2010. Can We All Get Along?: Racial and Ethnic
Minorities in American Politics, 5th edition. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
In addition to these texts, there are several required readings that are available via the library’s ejournal collection or the course BlackBoard (BB)page. Readings should be read by the date they
appear on the syllabus.
Class Schedule and Reading Assignments:
Jan 13 Course Introduction
Assignment: Find a newspaper or magazine article that discusses or questions what the
Obama election means for race relations. Bring the article to class to share on Jan 20.
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Jan 18 No Class in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
The “Breakthrough”
Ifil, Gwen. 2009. The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, Chpts 1-3
Jan 20
Bobo, Lawrence D. and Michael C. Dawson. 2009. “A Change Has Come: Race, Politics, and the
Path to the Obama Presidency,” Du Bois Review, vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 1-14.
Ford, Richard T. 2009. “Barack is the New Black: Obama and the Promise/Threat of the PostCivil Rights Era,” Du Bois Review, vol. 6, No. 1, pp.37-48
Jan 25 In the Beginning: Race and American Politics
McClosky, Herbert and John Zaller. 1984. "The Foundations of the American Ethos," from The
American Ethos, pp.1-17 (BB)
Van Evrie, J.H. 1868. Selections from: White Supremacy and Negro Subordination (BB)
Jefferson, Thomas. 1787. Selections from: Notes on the State of Virginia (BB)
Jan 27 Race and the Constitution
McClain, Paula D. and Joseph Stewart Jr. 2010. Can We All Get Along?: Racial and Ethnic
Minorities in American Politics, Chpt 1
Marshall, Thurgood. 1987. “The Constitution’s Bicentennial: Commemorating the Wrong
Document?” Vanderbilt Law Review, Nov. 1987, p. 1337.
Reynolds, William Bradford. 1987. “Another View of our Magnificent Constitution.” Vanderbilt
Law Review, Nov. 1987, p.1343
Feb 1
An American Dilemma
Myrdal, Gunnar. 1944. An American Dilemma, Intro and Chpt 1 (BB)
Westie, Frank. 1969. “The American Dilemma: An Empirical Test,” in N.D. Glenn and C.M.
Bonjean, eds., Blacks in the United States (BB)
Feb 3
Social Dominance Theory: An Analytical Framework
Sidanius, James. 1993. "The Psychology of Group Oppression and the Dynamics of Oppression:
A Social Dominance Pespective," in S. Inyengar and W. McGuire, eds. Explorations in Political
Psychology, pp. 183-219 (BB)
Feb 8
SDT (contd)
Hacker, Andrew. 2003.” White Responses: Right and Left, Guilt and Sex,” Chpt 4 in Hacker’s
Two Nations (BB)
Feb 10 The Old Black Politics
Bunche, Ralph J. 1940. A Brief and Tentative Analysis of Negro Leadership (Edited and with an
introduction by Jonathan Holloway, 2005), pp. 1-63 (BB)
3
Feb 15
Clark, Kenneth B. 1965. “The Power Structure of the Ghetto,” Chpt 7 in Clark’s Dark Ghetto:
Dilemmas of Social Power (BB)
Clark, Kenneth B. 1965. “Strategy for Change,” Chpt 8 in Clark’s Dark Ghetto: Dilemmas of
Social Power (BB)
Feb 22 The New Black Politics and the New New Black Politics
Tate, Katherine. 1993. “The New Black Politics,” Chpt 1 in Tate’s From Protest to Politics (BB)
In-class video: The New Black Politics
Feb 24
Gillespie, Andra, editor. 2010. Whose Black Politics?: Cases in Post-Racial Black Leadership,
Introduction and Chpt 1.
Smith, Rogers M. and Desmond S. King. 2009. “Barack Obama and the Future of American
Racial Politics,” Du Bois Review, vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 25-35
Mar 1
Gillespie, Andra, editor. 2010. Whose Black Politics?: Cases in Post-Racial Black Leadership,
Chpts 2-3
Mar 3 Midterm Examination
Mar 8 & 11
SPRING BREAK
Mar 15
Ifil, Gwen. 2009. The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, Chpts 5-7
Mar 18
Ifil, Gwen. 2009. The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, Chpts 8-9
Gillespie, Andra, editor. 2010. Whose Black Politics?: Cases in Post-Racial Black Leadership,
Chpt 4
Mar 22 Deracialization
Gillespie, Andra, editor. 2010. Whose Black Politics?: Cases in Post-Racial Black Leadership,
pp173-175 and Chpts 8-10
Mar 24
Ifil, Gwen. 2009. The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, Chpts 10,
Conclusion, and Afterword
4
Mar 29 The End of Race As We Have Known It?
Gillespie, Andra, editor. 2010. Whose Black Politics?: Cases in Post-Racial Black Leadership,
pp173-175 and Chpts 6-7
Peery, Destiny, and Galen Bodenhausen. 2009. “Ambiguity and Ambivalence in the Voting
Booth and Beyond,” Du Bois Review 6:1, pp. 71-82.
Mar 31
Fiske, Susan, et al. 2009. “Images of Black Americans: Them.”Them,” and Now, “Obama!” Du
Bois Review 6:1, pp. 83-101.
Pettigrew, Thomas F. 2009. “Post-Racism?: Putting President Obama’s Victory in Perspective,”
Du Bois Review 6:2, pp. 279-292.
Apr 5 A New Race Politics in America
Junn, Jane and Kerry L. Haynie. 2008. New Race Politics in America: Understanding Minority
and Immigrant Politics, Chpt 1
McClain, Paula D. and Joseph Stewart Jr. 2010. Can We All Get Along?: Racial and Ethnic
Minorities in American Politics, Chpt 2
Apr 7
McClain, Paula D. and Joseph Stewart Jr. 2010. Can We All Get Along?: Racial and Ethnic
Minorities in American Politics, Chpts. 3-4.
Apr 12
Chong, Dennis and Dukhong Kim. 2008. “Beyond Black and White” The experiences and Effects
of Economic Status among Racial and Ethnic Minorities,” in Junn, Jane and Kerry L. Haynie.
2008. New Race Politics in America: Understanding Minority and Immigrant Politics, Chpt3.
Wong, Janelle S et al. 2008. “Activity amid Diversity: Asian American Political Participation,” in
Junn, Jane and Kerry L. Haynie. 2008. New Race Politics in America: Understanding Minority
and Immigrant Politics, Chpt 4.
Apr 14
De La Garza, Rudolfo, et al. 2008. “Get Me to the Polls on Time: Coethnic Mobilization and
Latino Turnout,” in Junn, Jane and Kerry L. Haynie. 2008. New Race Politics in America:
Understanding Minority and Immigrant Politics, Chpt. 5
Soto, Victoria DeFrancesco and Jennifer Merolla. 2008. “Se Habla Espanol: Ethic Campaign
Strategies and Latino Voting Behavior,” in Junn, Jane and Kerry L. Haynie. 2008. New Race
Politics in America: Understanding Minority and Immigrant Politics, Chpt. 6
Apr 19 Can We All Get Along?
Haynie, Kerry L. 2008. “Understanding the New Race Politics: Conclusions and Challenges,” in
Junn, Jane and Kerry L. Haynie. 2008. New Race Politics in America: Understanding Minority
and Immigrant Politics, Chpt. 9.
5
McClain, Paula D. and Joseph Stewart Jr. 2010. Can We All Get Along?: Racial and Ethnic
Minorities in American Politics, Chpt 5
Apr 21
McClain, Paula D., et al. 2008. “Black Elites and Latino Immigrant Relations in a Southern City:
Do Black Elites and the Black Masses Agree?” in Junn, Jane and Kerry L. Haynie. 2008. New
Race Politics in America: Understanding Minority and Immigrant Politics, Chpt. 8.
Hunt, Matthew O. and David Wilson. 2009. ”Race/Ethnicity, Perceived Discrimination, and
Beliefs About the Meaning of An Obama Presidency,” Du Bois Review 6:1, pp. 173-91.
Ramakrishnan, S.K. et ai. 2009. “Race-Based Considerations and the Obama Vote: Evidence
from the 2008 National Asian American Survey,” Du Bois Review 6:1, pp. 219-38.
Apr 26 What Does the Future Hold?
Gillespie, Andra. 2010. “Where Do We Go From Here?” Conclusion to Whose Black Politics?:
Cases in Post-Racial Black Leadership.
McClain, Paula D. and Joseph Stewart Jr. 2010. “Will We All Get Along?” in Can We All Get
Along?: Racial and Ethnic Minorities in American Politics, Chpt. 6.
Eibach, Richard P., and Valerie Purdie-Vaughns. 2009. “Change We Can Believe In?: Barack
Obama’s Framing Strategies for Bridging Racial Divisions,” Du Bois Review 6:1, pp. 137-51.
Apr 28
TBA
Final Exam: Wednesday, May 5th, 7-10pm
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