Michael Tesler, [UCI professor of political science] and Lilliana Mason and Andrew Engelhardt, they all have great research that shows us that partisans sort into the Democratic and the Republican party based on their racial attitudes. And in Tesler’s case, it’s based on their attitudes towards black Americans. So white partisans decide whether to be a Democrat or a Republican based on whether to be a Democrat or a Republican based on how they feel towards Black Americans.

For the full story, please visit https://www.niskanencenter.org/when-partisanship-forms-our-identity/.