ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Many Americans changed their perceptions of discrimination and racism after Barack Obama became the nation’s first black president. This belief that racial biases had softened, however, did not translate to positive feelings about policies that address racial disparities, according to a new University of Michigan study. In fact, opposition to affirmative action and immigration may have increased since 2008. “When racial progress is made, and perceived, by many Americans from a variety of racial backgrounds, it may seem counterintuitive that opposition to affirmative action would increase,” said Nicholas Valentino, an associate professor of communication studies and political science.
He wrote the study with Ted Brader, a research assistant professor at the U-M Center for Political Studies. “The answer may be simple: If the playing field is perceived to be more balanced than before, then the need for policies to address inequality is lessened,” Valentino said. Perceptions of discrimination could play a factor in how some vote in next year’s presidential election. “It is possible that these perceptions could be used by both parties to mobilize their base voters,” he said.
The survey involved telephone interviews before and after the 2008 presidential elections. The pre-election interviews were completed by 617 respondents and 82 percent of these completed the post-election survey. They were asked how much discrimination they thought blacks faced in America.
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