Behind the Mule

Michael C. Dawson

Published by Princeton University Press 1995

Behind the Mule

Race and Class in African-American Politics

Michael C. Dawson

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691212982

Overview
Contents

About this book

Political scientists and social choice theorists often assume that economic diversification within a group produces divergent political beliefs and behaviors. Michael Dawson demonstrates, however, that the growth of a black middle class has left race as the dominant influence on African- American politics. Why have African Americans remained so united in most of their political attitudes? To account for this phenomenon, Dawson develops a new theory of group interests that emphasizes perceptions of "linked fates" and black economic subordination.

Author information

Michael C. Dawson is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago.

Reviews

"Until now, no one has fully probed the contours of black group identity or looked systematically at the tension between solidarity and class differences among African Americans. Michael Dawson has done just that. He combines the best survey, a deep sense of historical and social context, and a vivid realization of why politics matters to show us how much African Americans remain unified, where they are dividing, and how racial group interests deeply affect all Americans."—Jennifer Hochschild, Harvard University

"Dawson's original analytics and wide-reaching empirical tests mark Behind the Mule as a new standard in the field of African-American politics."

"Scholarship, in disciplines and subfields, significantly changes, when mature, inventive, and brilliant works emerge. This book is one such moment and event. It is a pioneering and painstaking exploration of African-American politics from the standpoint of the people in that community, using their opinions, attitudes, and behaviors as guides."—Hanes Walton, Jr., University of Michigan

"[Dawson's] insights are useful for opening discussions of the ideological underpinnings of African American political beliefs and behavior. Highly recommended."

"Winner of the 1995 Outstanding Book Award, National Conference of Black Political Scientists"

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
List of Figures Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
List of Tables Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	xi
Part One. BEHIND THE MULE: THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN GROUP INTERESTS
1. The Changing Class Structure of Black America and the Political Behavior of African Americans Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	3
2. The Changing Class Structure of Black America and the Political Behavior of African Americans Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	15
3. The Politicization of African-American Racial Group Interests Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	45
Part Two. AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLITICAL BEHAVIOR AND PUBLIC OPINION
4. Models of African-American Racial and Economic Group Interests Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	71
5. African-American Partisanship and the American Party System Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	96
6. African-American Political Choice Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	130
7. Racial Group Interests, African-American Presidential Approval, and Macroeconomic Policy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	161
8. Group Interests, Class Divisions, and African- American Policy Preferences Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	181
9. Epilogue: Racial Group Interests, Class, and the Future of African-American Politics Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	204
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	213
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	227

Language: English
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly;College/higher education;
Pages
- Main content: 248
Illustrations
- Other: 16 line illustrations, 33 tables
Keywords: Achen; Christopher; Allen; Richard; Barker; Lucius; black church; Brown; Ronald; Carmines; Edward; class; Dahl; Robert; Dukakis; Michael; Farley; Reynolds; Garvey; Marcus; Great Depression; Hamilton; Charles; Jackson; Jesse; Kilson; Martin; Lewis; Earl; Naison; Mark; linked fate; Mondale; Walter; New Deal; presidential approval; Oliver; Melvin; race; Reagan; Ronald; Sniderman; Paul; Stimson; James; thermometer scale; Wilson; William

eBook

Published: May 18, 2020
ISBN: 9780691212982