Changing Minds, If Not Hearts: Political Remedies for Racial Conflict

by James M. Glaser, Timothy J. Ryan

Overview

Americans preach egalitarianism, but democracy makes it hard for minorities to win. Changing Minds, If Not Hearts explores political strategies that counteract the impulse of racial majorities to think about racial issues as a zero-sum game, in which a win for one group means a loss for another. James M. Glaser and Timothy J. Ryan argue that, although political processes often inflame racial tensions, the tools of politics also can alleviate conflict.

Through randomized experiments conducted in South Carolina, California, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and New Jersey, Glaser and Ryan uncover the racial underpinnings of disputes over affirmative action, public school funding initiatives, Confederate flag displays on government buildings, reparations, and racial profiling. The authors examine whether communities rife with conflict endorse different outcomes when issues are cast in different terms—for example, by calling attention to double standards, evoking alternate conceptions of fairness and justice, or restructuring electoral choices to offer voters greater control. Their studies identify a host of tools that can help overcome opposition to minority interests that are due to racial hostility. Even in communities averse to accommodation, even where antipathy and prejudice linger, minorities can win.

With clearly presented data and compelling prose, Changing Minds, If Not Hearts provides a vivid and practical illustration of how academic theory can help resolve conflicts on the ground.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780812245288
Publisher:	University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
Publication date:	08/21/2013
Series:	American Governance: Politics, Policy, and Public Law
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

James M. Glaser is Professor of Political Science and Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences at Tufts University. He is also author of The Hand of the Past in Contemporary Southern Politics and Race, Campaign Politics, and the Realignment in the South. Timothy J. Ryan is a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of Michigan.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Burdens of Our Past
Chapter 2. Ballot Architecture and the Building of Schools
Chapter 3. Following Neighbors, If Not Leaders
Chapter 4. Remorse, Retribution, and Restoration
Chapter 5. A Panoply of Preferences
Chapter 6. A Spotlight on Race Neutrality
Chapter 7. Changing Minds, If Not Hearts

Notes
References
Index
Acknowledgments

Editorial Reviews

"A substantive, intellectually engaging read. Changing Minds, If Not Hearts challenges the idea that intractable racial attitudes explain most political outcomes and offers compelling evidence that framing issues to defuse group conflict may successfully address some of the systemic obstacles that racial minorities face in democracies."

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Melissa Nobles

"A substantive, intellectually engaging read. Changing Minds, If Not Hearts challenges the idea that intractable racial attitudes explain most political outcomes and offers compelling evidence that framing issues to defuse group conflict may successfully address some of the systemic obstacles that racial minorities face in democracies."—Melissa Nobles, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

From the Publisher