Dangerously Divided: How Race and Class Shape Winning and Losing in American Politics

Description

As America has become more racially diverse and economic inequality has increased, American politics has also become more clearly divided by race and less clearly divided by class. In this landmark book, Zoltan L. Hajnal draws on sweeping data to assess the political impact of the two most significant demographic trends of last fifty years. Examining federal and local elections over many decades, as well as policy, Hajnal shows that race more than class or any other demographic factor shapes not only how Americans vote but also who wins and who loses when the votes are counted and policies are enacted. America has become a racial democracy, with non-Whites and especially African Americans regularly on the losing side. A close look at trends over time shows that these divisions are worsening, yet also reveals that electing Democrats to office can make democracy more even and ultimately reduce inequality in well-being. 01.0_pp_i_ii_Fragmented_Democracy 02.0_pp_iii_iii_Fragmented_Democracy 03.0_pp_iv_iv_Copyright_page 04.0_pp_v_vi_Dedication 05.0_pp_vii_viii_Contents 06.0_pp_ix_xii_Acknowledgments 07.0_pp_1_18_Medicaid_Political_Life_and_Fragmented_Democracy 08.0_pp_19_32_Democratic_Citizenship_and_Contextualized_Policy_Feedback 09.0_pp_33_59_Federalism_Health_Care_and_Inequity 10.0_pp_60_83_State_Policy_and_Political_MisEducation 12.0_pp_114_133_People_Places_and_Social_Policy_in_the_City 13.0_pp_134_161_Policy_Advocacy_across_a_Fragmented_Polity 14.0_pp_162_170_Federalism_and_Political_Inequality 16.0_pp_191_200_Notes 17.0_pp_201_220_References 18.0_pp_221_226_Index