SGER: Exit Poll Research and the African American Voter in the 2008 General Election

由于奥巴马参议员的成功，非洲裔美国选民正在登记投票。初步迹象表明，非洲裔美国人社区的每一个部门都将出现创纪录的投票率。根据皮尤人民和媒体研究中心的数据，在投票年龄的非裔美国人中，足足有75%的人表示，他们为这次选举考虑了很多。该项目将利用出口民调，调查2008年佐治亚州和密西西比州选定选区的非裔美国人在总统选举中的投票方式，以及影响他们决定的因素。研究人员认为，非裔美国人的政治社会化不同于美国白人的政治社会化。传统上，学者们认为黑人教堂、家庭、学校和同龄人团体是前人口中政治社会化的主要因素。其他研究人员指出，国会女议员雪莉·奇泽姆和民权活动家杰西·杰克逊等主要政治行为者是重要因素。本项目试图区分传统社会化因素和个性因素的影响。出口民调的过程和结果将被纳入莫尔豪斯学院研究员S的跨学科研讨会。学生将进行调查，处理数据，并将结果提交给学院。此外，研究人员正在与密西西比州的Tugaloo学院合作，该学院的学生将参与与莫尔豪斯学院相同的过程。

As a result of the success of Senator Obama, African American voters are registering to vote in large numbers. Early indications suggest that there will be a record turnout from every sector of the African American community. According to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, fully 75% of African Americans of voting age say that they have given a lot of thought to this election. This compares to only 58% of the same population as reported in a similar poll in 2004.Using exit polls, this project will examine the manner in which African Americans voted in the 2008 Presidential election at selected precincts in Georgia and Mississippi as well the factors that influenced their decisions. Researchers have argued that African American political socialization is different from that of white Americans. Traditionally, scholars have identified black churches, families, schools, and peer groups as the major agents of political socialization within the former population. Other researchers have pointed to major political actors such as Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson as being important factors. This project attempts to differentiate the impacts of traditional socialization factors versus the impacts of personalities.The exit poll process and results will be incorporated into the researcher?s interdisciplinary seminar at Morehouse College. Students will conduct the survey, process data and present results to the college. In addition, the researchers are partnering with Tugaloo College in Mississippi and students at that institution will be involved in the same process as those at Morehouse.