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Strange Bedfellows? Polarized Politics? The Quest for Racial Equity in Contemporary America

Nuffield College, Oxford University, desmond.king{at}nuffield.ox .ac.uk

Rogers M. Smith

The University of Pennsylvania

Some scholars see contemporary American politics as characterized by "strange bedfellows" on racial issues and by polarization driven by economic, not racial, views. The authors argue instead that on most issues with racial dimensions, political actors and institutions are aligned into two racial orders, one favoring "color-blind" policies and the other "race-conscious" measures. Coalitions on two issues—affirmative action in employment and majority-minority districting—are explored to support this "racial orders" thesis.

Key Words: race • African Americans • redistricting • affirmative action • polarization

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This version was published on December 1, 2008

Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 61, No. 4, 686-703 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1065912908322410


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