Is the VRA Still Necessary?: Attitudinal Support of Electoral Reform in a Post-Jim Crow Era

Posted: 3 Nov 2013

See all articles by Tyson King-Meadows

Tyson King-Meadows

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

Khizra Ehsan

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

Chris Harried

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

Lauren Lochocki

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

Audrey Petrauli

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Sheila Prados

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

Date Written: November 1, 2013

Abstract

The Supreme Court’s recently issued opinion in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder (2013) declared an important part of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) unconstitutional, finding the 2006 reauthorized coverage formula to be inappropriate for an era where race based electoral discrimination has declined significantly. Interrogating the “Bull Connor is Dead” concept, this study explores public support for anti-democratic reforms in election law. We analyze survey results from the 2008 and 2012 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, newspaper content analysis, and Department of Justice data to measure the degree to which attitudinal and contextual determinants explain the trends in white support for three election reform policies that affect minority voting rights. Building on prior research, we expect that support for voter ID laws and support for voters reading the Constitution in both periods will be best predicted by whether a person voted for Barack Obama. Additionally, we expect that beliefs about blacks will also determine support for voter ID laws. Lastly, we expect that support for Election Day Registration will be influenced by whether a person experienced problems registering in the past and their level of interest in the news. The implications of this study address the benefits and consequences of considering attitudinal support for minority voting rights in a post-Jim Crow era where some deem the VRA unnecessary.

Keywords: voting rights, elections, VRA, public opinion, Jim Crow

Suggested Citation

King-Meadows, Tyson and Ehsan, Khizra and Harried, Chris and Lochocki, Lauren and Petrauli, Audrey and Prados, Sheila, Is the VRA Still Necessary?: Attitudinal Support of Electoral Reform in a Post-Jim Crow Era (November 1, 2013). 2014 National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS) Annual Meeting, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2348755

Tyson King-Meadows (Contact Author)

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) ( email )

Department of Political Science
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
United States
410-455-2194 (Phone)
410-455-1021 (Fax)

Khizra Ehsan

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) ( email )

1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
United States

Chris Harried

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) ( email )

1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
United States

Lauren Lochocki

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) ( email )

1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
United States

Audrey Petrauli

University of Maryland, Baltimore County ( email )

1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
United States

Sheila Prados

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) ( email )

1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
United States

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