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What's the Matter with Arkansas? Symbolic Racism and 2008 Presidential Candidate Support
Article first published online: 14 APR 2010
DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-5705.2010.03774.x
© 2010 Center for the Study of the Presidency
Additional Information
How to Cite
FORD, P. K., MAXWELL, A. and SHIELDS, T. (2010), What's the Matter with Arkansas? Symbolic Racism and 2008 Presidential Candidate Support. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 40: 286–302. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-5705.2010.03774.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 14 APR 2010
- Article first published online: 14 APR 2010
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
The 2008 presidential election presented voters with the nation's first African American presidential candidate. Symbolic racism theory suggests that Obama's presence on the national ticket will activate a range of racial attitudes across the electorate. The authors examine two statewide surveys from Arkansas and Georgia in order to explore the importance of symbolic racism across different campaign contexts. The findings suggest that voting behavior was significantly influenced by symbolic racism. Consequently, the authors extend the symbolic racism literature by demonstrating the effects of these attitudes at the national level and across different campaign environments.