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Accounting for “Racism”: Responses to Political Predicaments in Two States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Byron D'Andra Orey ,
L. Marvin Overby ,
Barbara J. Walkosz  and
Kimberly R. Walker
Byron D'Andra Orey
Affiliation:
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
L. Marvin Overby
Affiliation:
University of Missouri-Columbia
Barbara J. Walkosz
Affiliation:
University of Colorado-Denver
Kimberly R. Walker
Affiliation:
University of Mississippi and Alcorn State University
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Abstract

How do people explain their behavior in socially unacceptable political situations? Exploring this question will give us insight into how the public responds to and frames collective decisions regarding controversial topics. We analyze accounts of the outcomes of racially sensitive statewide referenda in two states to understand the public responses to such political predicaments. Distinguishing four broad categories of these accounts—denials, justifications, excuses, and confessions—we find some clear-cut differences in their use between proponents and opponents of the ballot measures. These results have implications for political thought and dialogue regarding politically-sensitive issues and other heated policy issues. We also discuss how the different account dynamics in these two cases presaged subsequent political developments in these states, which might provide insights into why some such cases continue to be fiercely contested while others fade from public debate.

Type
Research Article
Information
State Politics & Policy Quarterly , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , Fall 2007 , pp. 235 - 255
Copyright
Copyright © The American Political Science Association, 2007

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