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大量登记投票。初步迹象显示，非裔美国人社区各个部门的投票率都将创下纪录。根据皮尤人民与媒体研究中心的调查，75%达到投票年龄的非裔美国人说他们对这次选举有很多考虑。相比之下，在2004年的一项类似调查中，这一比例仅为58%。利用出口民调，本项目将研究非洲裔美国人在2008年总统选举中在乔治亚州和密西西比州选定选区投票的方式，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与美国白人不同。传统上，学者们认为黑人教堂、家庭、学校和同辈群体是前人口中政治社会化的主要代理人。其他研究人员指出，国会女议员雪莉·奇泽姆（Shirley Chisholm）和民权活动家杰西·杰克逊（Jesse Jackson）等主要政治人物是重要因素。本项目试图区分传统社会化因素与个性因素的影响。出口民调的过程和结果将被纳入研究人员？在莫尔豪斯学院举行的跨学科研讨会上。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图加卢学院合作，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.