Dangerously Divided : How Race and Class Shape Winning and Losing in American Politics

Dangerously Divided is for scholars, lay readers, journalists, and policy makers who are interested in American politics, race and ethnicity, class and inequality, US elections, representation, partisanship, and polarization. It is essential reading for understanding the underlying contours of contemporary American politics.

As America has become more racially diverse and economic inequality has increased, American politics has also become more clearly divided by race and less clearly divided by class. In this landmark book, Zoltan L. Hajnal draws on sweeping data to assess the political impact of the two most significant demographic trends of last fifty years. Examining federal and local elections over many decades, as well as policy, Hajnal shows that race more than class or any other demographic factor shapes not only how Americans vote but also who wins and who loses when the votes are counted and policies are enacted. America has become a racial democracy, with non-Whites and especially African Americans regularly on the losing side. A close look at trends over time shows that these divisions are worsening, yet also reveals that electing Democrats to office can make democracy more even and ultimately reduce inequality in well-being.