ABSTRACT

According to a 2008 American Nation Election Study Poll, 71 percent of blacks1 who are registered to vote self-identify as Democrat. In contrast, just 2 percent of registered blacks identify as Republican, and 23 percent as Independent.2 Th is makes blacks the most asymmetrical of the major political subgroups in party identifi cation terms. Blacks are also the only large racial or ethnic subgroup in which more than half of its members identify with one party. Th e 69 point advantage that blacks give to the Democrats is signifi cantly larger than that given to either party by any other segment of the electorate. For example, the distribution pattern of Latinos across the parties is somewhat similar to the pattern for blacks, with an advantage for the Democrats over the Republicans of 34 percent. Th is advantage, however, is half the advantage blacks give the Democrats.