The Racial Underpinnings of Party Identification and Political Ideology

ObjectiveThe racial issue evolution theory has shaped our understanding of U.S. party politics since 1964. However, some scholars disagree that racial issues are the chief factors. Others argue that social identities are the key to understanding U.S. party politics. MethodsUsing logistic regression, this analysis addresses this controversy and joins the debate with a different test of the social identity theory. ResultsIt demonstrates that relationships between three racial psychological attachments (categorization, identification, and consciousness) and political orientation (party identification and political ideology) exist even when controlling for other factors. ConclusionThe findings suggest that Americans rely on racial categorization and identification when identifying themselves with a political party, but not a political ideology. However, the findings suggest that Americans rely on racial and moral issues when adopting a political ideology, but not party identification.