Black-Brown Coalitions in Local School Board Elections

Abstract

As the racial composition of the United States becomes increasingly diverse, scholars have begun to examine whether interminority, or rainbow, coalitions are feasible. The power thesis suggests that lower levels of social distance between Anglos and Latinos will make the formation of Anglo-Latino coalitions more likely than black-Latino coalitions. This hypothesis is reexamined using fifteen hundred school board election results. The findings offer little evidence for the formation of Anglo-Latino coalitions. There are, however, indications that Anglo-black coalitions form when an area becomes populated by Latino noncitizens, possibly due to the increased social distance this causes between Latinos and other racial/ethnic communities.

La Doble Disyuntiva: La Política sobre Desigualdades Raciales y de Clase en las Américas Resumen Ejecutivo

“…Varios estudios recientes han encontrado, al examinar los incentivos de todos los grupos, que una integración verdadera modera de manera significativa el conflicto intergrupal entre minorías en ciudades de Estados Unidos (Ha 2010;Oliver y Wong 2003;Rocha 2007;Rudolph y Popp 2010). De igual manera, otra investigación anterior ha demostrado que los vínculos entre la élite pueden reducir el conflicto y facilitar las coaliciones entre grupos étnico-raciales en zonas urbanas (Bennett 1993;Browning et al 1984;Henry y Muñoz 1991;Sonenshein 1989).…”

Voting Rights for Whom? Examining the Effects of the Voting Rights Act on Latino Political Incorporation

“…The first connects key characteristics of the group-namely, its size, cohesiveness, and resources-to the group's ability to mobilize and participate effectively in politics (Engstrom and McDonald 1981;Parkin and Zlotnick 2011;Rocha 2007). The first connects key characteristics of the group-namely, its size, cohesiveness, and resources-to the group's ability to mobilize and participate effectively in politics (Engstrom and McDonald 1981;Parkin and Zlotnick 2011;Rocha 2007).…”

“…6 While nearly all prior research has focused on the relationship between atlarge and district systems and the proportion of Latinos on the board, few studies have uncovered strong effects (Leal, Martinez-Ebers, and Meier 2004;Marschall 2005;Rocha 2007;Shah 2010;Welch 1990;Zax 1990). 6 While nearly all prior research has focused on the relationship between atlarge and district systems and the proportion of Latinos on the board, few studies have uncovered strong effects (Leal, Martinez-Ebers, and Meier 2004;Marschall 2005;Rocha 2007;Shah 2010;Welch 1990;Zax 1990).…”

“…Although studies have found black candidates fare better in districts with larger Latino populations, empirical evidence suggests that Latino candidates do worse in districts with larger African American populations (Marschall 2005;Marschall, Ruhil, and Shah 2010;Rocha 2007; but see Meier and Stewart 1991). This is not only because Latinos constitute the majority in only a small fraction of school districts, but also because most school districts employ at-large electoral systems.…”

The Double Bind: The Politics of Racial and Class Inequalities in the Americas Executive Summary

“…Examining the incentives for all groups, several recent studies have found that truly meaningful integration moderates intergroup conflict between minorities in US cities (Ha 2010;Oliver and Wong 2003;Rocha 2007;Rudolph and Popp 2010). Previous research has also shown that elite linkages can reduce conflict and facilitate coalitions between ethnoracial groups in urban areas (Bennett 1993;Browning et al 1984;Henry and Munoz 1991;Sonenshein 1989).…”