Doctoral Dissertation Research: Candidate Race and Vote Choice

在某些政治制度中，非洲裔公民构成了选民的大多数，但在政府中的代表性仍然明显不足。这表明，候选人的种族可能在这些国家的选举成功中发挥重要作用。然而，之前的研究发现了不同的结果。在本研究中，PI利用和实验设计来重新评估这些不同的发现。PI使用投票实验来评估候选人种族对投票选择的影响。本研究的结果有可能对种族政治和比较政治中的投票的学术研究做出贡献，并解决大型民主国家代表性不足的问题。种族群体的代表性不足可能对民主的质量和稳定性产生负面影响。该项目探讨了这些种族差异的原因以及解决这些差异的途径。在一些国家，非洲裔公民未能获得与其选举实力成比例的代表权，这是有据可查的。然而，候选人的种族对选举成功的影响尚不清楚。在本研究中，PI采用联合投票实验来评估候选人种族对其中一个国家的投票选择的因果效应。这将使PI能够确定投票中的种族偏见是基于偏好还是统计歧视的结果。前者似乎表明种族偏见，而后者则符合基于种族陈规定型观念的战略决策。统计上的偏见和基于偏好的偏见之间的区别对于代表性不足的群体来说并不重要，但对于一个有效的民主政治制度来说，这是一个重要的问题。了解种族偏见的本质为开始积极的改变提供了一个起点。改革选举机构有可能减少各种种族歧视的影响，赋予政治上代表性不足的重要多数以权力，从而提高民主的质量

General Abstract Citizens of African descent comprise a majority of the electorate in some political systems, yet are still significantly under-represented in government. This suggests that candidate race may play an important role in electoral success in such countries. Previous research, however, finds mixed results. In this research, the PI utilizes and experimental design to reassess these disparate findings. The PI uses a voting experiment to assess the impact of candidate race on vote-choice. The findings of this study have the potential to contribution to the scholarship on race politics and voting in comparative politics, as well as to address issues of under-representation in a large democracy. Underrepresentation of racial communities may have negative consequences for the quality and stability of democracy. The project explores the cause of these racial disparities and therein a pathway towards addressing them. Technical Abstract The failure of citizens of African descent to attain representation in proportion to their electoral strength in a number of countries is well-documented. The effect of candidate race on electoral success, however, remains unclear. In this research, the PI employs a conjoint voting experiment to assess the causal effect of candidate race on vote-choice in one such country. This will allow the PI to determine whether racial bias in voting is a result of preference-based or statistical discrimination. The former would seem to indicate racial prejudice, while the latter is consistent with strategic decision-making based on racial stereotypes. The distinction between statistical and preference-based bias is unimportant to the underrepresented group in question, but it is an important concern for a functioning democratic political system. Understanding the nature of racial bias in provides a starting point from which positive change can begin. Reforming electoral institutions have the potential to reduce the effects of each type of racial discrimination, empower an important politically underrepresented majority, and thus improve the quality of democracy