Sociologists have identified an emerging new ethnic population of unhyphenated Americans, those whites who claim an American ancestry, or none at all. This article measures the voting habits of these individuals in the 2010 elections. Research has shown that Barack Obamas vote share suffered in the 2008 election in regions where these voters are concentrated. This paper extends that analysis to the 2010 midterm elections. I find that in districts where unhyphenated Americans are concentrated, Democratic candidates suffered reduced vote share and chances of victory. These findings show the importance of identity politics among white voters and raise further questions about the role of ethnicity and voting.

The Forum
A Journal of Applied Research in Contemporary Politics
Ed. by Shafer, Byron / DiSalvo, Daniel
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Unhyphenated Americans in the 2010 U.S. House Election
Brian K. Arbour
1John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Citation Information: The Forum. Volume 9, Issue 2, Pages –, ISSN (Online) 1540-8884, DOI: 10.2202/1540-8884.1424, July 2011
Publication History:
- Published Online:
- 2011-07-13
Keywords: unhyphenated Americans; 2010 Elections; Democratic Party; Southern politics; political geography


















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