Examining African American Public Opinion and Voting
Born out of a desire to emphasize the instrumental role black voters play in our understanding of American politics, the Black Voter Project (BVP) public opinion surveys explore African American political attitudes, behavior and voting in ways that are often unexamined.
With a focus on contemporary issues in politics, our expertise in political history and survey design allows for unique insights into African American mobilization and social movement organization. Extreme political polarization makes black political turnout a necessity for progressive politics today.
Spanning close to a decade, the Black Voter Project consists of six public opinion surveys, the latest being the 2024 National BVP and the 2022 National BVP Panel Study. The current BVP projects (of many on our agenda) have already produced results suggest that it is imperative we continue to rigorously explore black politics.
Contact
➤ LOCATION
Sacramento, CA
☎ CONTACT
towler@csus.edu
(916) 278-4012
Areas of Exploration
Political engagement
We examine political engagement both traditionally, via interest in politics and voting, and acts considered beyond traditional political participation, such as boycotting or donating to a political campaign.
Trump and political context
Beyond simple approval of Trump, the BVP works to explain black opposition to Trump on multiple levels. Through various measures of attitudes toward Trump, as well as unique questions allowing for blacks to offer their own statements, we believe the BVP allows for a complex understanding of the relationship between Trump's presidency and black America.
Social movement organization
The Black Voter Project is one of the first to intimately probe African American views of the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as attitudes toward movement effectiveness and protest tactics.
Longitudinal Panel Data
The 2019, 2020, and 2022 Black Voter Project (BVP) studies include recontact interviews that create a one-of-a-kind longitudinal dataset of Black respondents. Panel data allows for the examination of attitudes and behaviors over time, and even changes over time as well. This unique element of the BVP sets the stage for new and original analyses that can inform political for generations to come.
Political Trust and Alienation
The BVP measures both how much blacks trust their government, and how attached blacks feel toward the greater political system. Each concept, in their own right, is essential to understanding Black participation.
Equality and Inclusion
Evaluations concerning the future of racial progress are central to our examination of black public opinion. From whether or not black believe the country will ever realize true equality to opinions on immigration policy, the BVP explores numerous ways blacks think about inclusion and equity.
“The power of the ballot we need in sheer defense, else what shall save us from a second slavery?
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