A new survey reveals a 12-point drop in Black voter certainty for the upcoming election compared to 2020, potentially posing challenges for President Biden's reelection bid.
Disappointment with the Biden-Harris administration's progress on promised reforms contributes to the decline, especially among young Black voters. Despite decreased certainty, Biden maintains higher approval among Black voters compared to the general public, although trust in his policies varies.
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to provide context, commentary and analysis on this matter. If you would like to speak to an expert, please contact GW Media Relations Specialist Tayah Frye at [email protected].
Race and Politics
Andrew Thompson is an assistant professor of political science at George Washington University. His research studies how racial demographic changes alter political perceptions and democratic commitments. Further, he explores how racial demographic changes motivate stronger support for anti-democratic practices among the American public. He shows that partisan considerations are central to understanding how Americans process information about the changing U.S. demographic landscape, and how supportive they are of anti-democratic policies.
Jasmine Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at George Washington University. She studies American Politics with a focus on Race, Ethnicity and Politics, political behavior, and representation. Smith’s work examines how Black American’s racial identity shapes political attitudes and behavior, and interactions with political institutions. Her most recent book project, Electability Politics: How and Why Black Americans Vote in Primary Elections asks: How do Black Americans make vote choice decisions in primary elections?
Domonic A. Bearfield is a professor of public policy for the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at The George Washington University. A well-known scholar of race, gender, and public sector personnel, his work has appeared in many of the field's leading journals. He is currently an editor at Public Administration Review and previously served as the forum editor at Administrative Theory and Praxis. Bearfield is a lead author on numerous articles that delve into race dynamics within public policy and politics, such as The Disenfranchisement of Voters of Color: Redux and The Myth of Bureaucratic Neutrality: Institutionalized Inequity in Local Government Hiring.
Campaigns
Danny Hayes is a professor of political science at The George Washington University and helps to run GW’s Political Poll. Hayes’ expertise and research focuses on the media, public opinion, and elections. He is an author of three books, News Hole: The Demise of Local Journalism and Political Engagement (2021); Women on the Run: Media, Gender, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era (2016); and Influence from Abroad: Foreign Voices, the Media, and U.S. Public Opinion (2013). His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation and has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Political Behavior, and numerous other academic journals. He has also served as an editor and contributor for The Monkey Cage, a politics and political science blog at the Washington Post.
Christopher Warshaw is an associate professor of political science at the George Washington University, and is an expert on redistricting, American politics, representation, public opinion, as well as state and local politics. Warshaw evaluates the links between public opinion, elections, and political outcomes in city and state governments, as well as the U.S. Congress. He also examines how political institutions, such as term limits or direct democracy, influence political representation.
-GW-