Donald Trump’s adeptness at tapping into the racial resentment of certain white Americans has been noted by many analysts. (Photo by Sue Ogrocki, Associated Press)
May 31, 2024 Story by: Editor
The aftermath of the January 6th U.S. Capitol insurrection has left Americans grappling with deep divisions, commonly attributed to political partisanship. However, a recent study conducted by UC Berkeley sheds light on a more profound division: racial resentment.
White individuals harboring resentment towards perceived racial advantages of Black people were notably more inclined to question the necessity of the bipartisan U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack, as revealed by the study co-authored by David C. Wilson, dean at the Goldman School of Public Policy.
“Partisan politics provide only a partial explanation for the events of January 6th,” Wilson remarked. “There exists a potent racial dimension, not solely driven by prejudice, but also by perceptions of how African Americans challenge existing systems of merit.”
Wilson and co-author Darren W. Davis, a political scientist at Notre Dame University, elucidate the distinction between racial prejudice and contemporary racial resentment in their research. They contend that many white individuals perceive unfair advancements by people of color, fueling an emotional response to perceived injustices, which they argue is a dominant factor driving support for the insurrection and opposition to the investigative committee.
Their analysis correlates racial resentment with support for former President Donald Trump and the core message of his Make American Great Again (MAGA) movement, suggesting that the resentment stems from the perception of unfair losses by white individuals to groups perceived as undeserving beneficiaries.
The study, titled “Stop the Steal”: Racial Resentment, Affective Partisanship, and Investigating the January 6th Insurrection,” published in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, emphasizes the role of racial resentment in contemporary political conflicts, beyond overt racial contexts.
The racial dimension of the Jan. 6 insurrection reflects deeper historical tensions. Wilson highlights landmark civil rights policies that have expanded political and economic power for marginalized communities, triggering a sense of loss and dislocation among white individuals, exacerbated by factors such as the election of Barack Obama and economic instability.
However, the racial motivations underlying the insurrection and the resistance to the House investigation have been largely overlooked in congressional inquiries. Wilson and Davis underscore the need to understand racial resentment as a fundamental driver of political polarization, which often intersects with partisan identity.
As the political landscape becomes increasingly entwined with racial dynamics, Wilson warns against oversimplifying complex issues as mere manifestations of racism, emphasizing the importance of nuanced understanding to address societal divisions effectively. Source: University of California
