Notes on Trump Voters' Perceptions of Deservingness

Trump Voters and Perceptions of Deservingness

Introduction

  • The article discusses the link between racially resentful beliefs and support for Donald Trump, particularly the perception that African Americans are getting more than they deserve.
  • Michael Tesler, Associate Professor of Political Science at UC Irvine, authored the piece.

The White Working Class Narrative

  • Many argue Trump's victory was due to the political establishment ignoring the white working class.
  • Figures like Trump, Sanders, and Biden suggested the Clinton campaign didn't focus enough on this group's economic grievances.
  • However, the sympathetic focus on white America contrasts with the lack of empathy for communities of color.
  • When African Americans protest racial inequality, they are often criticized as "whiners."

Ultimate Attribution Error

  • Social psychology attributes these different portraits to the "ultimate attribution error."
  • When whites struggle, it's attributed to situational forces (e.g., outsourcing).
  • When non-whites struggle, it's attributed to dispositional traits (e.g., poor work ethic).
  • This leads to whites being considered "more deserving" than blacks.

HuffPost/YouGov Survey Experiment

  • A survey was conducted to quantify the double standard in deservingness.
  • Respondents were asked if they agreed that "blacks have gotten less than they deserve" or "average Americans have gotten less than they deserve."
  • "Average Americans" are implicitly synonymous with being white.

Survey Results: Public Divide

  • A majority (57%) said average Americans aren't getting their fair share.
  • Only 32% agreed when the statement applied to African Americans.

Disparity Among Whites

  • Whites were 30% more likely to say average Americans aren't getting what they deserve, compared to African Americans (58% to 28%).

The Trump Voter Divide

  • Almost two-thirds of Trump voters believed average Americans aren't getting as much as they deserve.
  • Only 12% of Trump supporters said blacks have gotten less than they deserve.
  • African Americans and Clinton voters were equally likely to say that both average Americans and blacks have gotten less than they deserve.
  • The main dividing line between Clinton and Trump voters was on the question of black deservingness (57% to 12% respectively).

Motivation of Trump Voters

  • Trump voters weren't simply motivated by the belief that average Americans are being left behind.
  • Their strong suspicion that African Americans are getting too much was a stronger predictor of their vote.
  • Racially resentful beliefs had a larger impact on the 2016 Republican Primary and the general election than ever before.