Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-31T19:57:06.441Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Achieving Validation: Barack Obama and Black Turnout in 2008

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Seth C. McKee ,
M. V. Hood  and
David Hill
Seth C. McKee*
Affiliation:
University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, USA
M. V. Hood
Affiliation:
University of Georgia, AthensUSA
David Hill
Affiliation:
Stetson University, DeLand, FL, USA
*
Seth C. McKee, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, 140 7th Ave S., DAV 258, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In this study we examine black voting in the 2008 presidential election. Recognizing the significance of having an African American win the presidency, we evaluate black political attitudes in 2008 vis-à-vis 2004, place black turnout in historical context, and discuss the problem of vote overreporting. The issue of vote overreporting plagues surveys, and this is particularly notable among African American respondents. The momentousness of Barack Obama's candidacy and subsequent election may further complicate black turnout responses. On the one hand, an African American Democratic presidential nominee is expected to mobilize blacks, but on the other hand this situation is also expected to increase the social desirability to misreport voting. To get around this intractable problem with surveys, we evaluate validated black turnout in the state of Georgia, which provides individual-level data on the population of registered voters. The validated black turnout numbers are much lower than those reported in national studies like the Current Population Survey, but our analysis indicates that compared to 2004, African American registration and voting in Georgia were markedly higher in 2008.

Keywords

electionspresidential electionspolitical participationracial politicsvoting behavior
Type
Research Article
Information
State Politics & Policy Quarterly , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , March 2012 , pp. 3 - 22
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abramson, Paul R., and Claggett, William. 1984. “Race-Related Differences in Self-Reported and Validated Turnout.” Journal of Politics 46:719–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abramson, Paul R., and Claggett, William. 1986. “Race-Related Differences in Self-Reported and Validated Turnout in 1984.” Journal of Politics 48:412–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abramson, Paul R., and Claggett, William. 1989. “Race-Related Differences in Self-Reported and Validated Turnout in 1986.” Journal of Politics 51:397–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abramson, Paul R., and Claggett, William. 1991. “Racial Differences in Self-Reported and Validated Turnout in the 1988 Presidential Election.” Journal of Politics 53:186–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abramson, Paul R., and Claggett, William. 1992. “The Quality of Record Keeping and Racial Differences in Validated Turnout.” Journal of Politics 54:871–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, Barbara A., Silver, Brian D., and Abramson, Paul R.. 1988. “The Effects of Race of the Interviewer on Measures of Electoral Participation by Blacks in SRC National Election Studies.” Public Opinion Quarterly 52:53–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernstein, Robert, Chadha, Anita, and Montjoy, Robert. 2001. “Overreporting Voting: Why It Happens and Why It Matters.” Public Opinion Quarterly 65:22–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bobo, Lawrence, and Gilliam, Frank D. Jr. 1990. “Race, Sociopolitical Participation, and Black Empowerment.” American Political Science Review 84:377–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bullock, Charles S. III. 2010. “Georgia: A Study of Party and Race.” In The New Politics of the Old South: An Introduction to Southern Politics, eds. Bullock, Charles S. and Rozell, Mark J.. Lanham, MD: Rowman# Littlefield.Google Scholar
Bullock, Charles S. III, and Gaddie, Ronald Keith. 2009. The Triumph of Voting Rights in the South. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.Google Scholar
Cassel, Carol A. 2002. “Hispanic Turnout: Estimates from Validated Voting Data.” Political Research Quarterly 55:391–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cassel, Carol A. 2003. “Overreporting and Electoral Participation Research.” American Politics Research 31:81–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cassel, Carol A. 2004. “Voting Records and Validated Voting Studies.” Public Opinion Quarterly 68:102–08.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clausen, Aage R. 1968-1969. “Response Validity: Vote Report.” Public Opinion Quarterly 32:588–606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, Christopher A., Haspel, Moshe, and Gibbs Knotts, H.. 2009. “The Value of Voterfiles for U.S. State Politics Research.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 9:102–21.Google Scholar
Fullerton, Andrew S., Dixon, Jeffrey C., and Borch, Casey. 2007. “Bringing Registration into Models of Vote Overreporting.” Public Opinion Quarterly 71:649–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, Kim Q., and Hurley, Patricia A.. 1984. “Nonvoters in Voters' Clothing: The Impact of Voting Behavior Misreporting on Voting Behavior Research.” Social Science Quarterly 65:199–206.Google Scholar
Katosh, John P., and Traugott, Michael W.. 1981. “The Consequences of Validated and Self-Reported Voting Measures.” Public Opinion Quarterly 45:519–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Key, V. O. Jr. 1949. Southern Politics in State and Nation. New York: A. A. Knopf.Google Scholar
Kousser, J. Morgan. 1974. The Shaping of Southern Politics. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Martinez, Michael D. 2003. “Comment on ‘Voter Turnout and the National Election Studies.‘” Political Analysis 11:187–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Masket, Seth E. 2009. “Did Obama's Ground Game Matter? The Influence of Local Field Offices during the 2008 Presidential Election.” Public Opinion Quarterly 73:1023–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, Michael P. 2007. “The True Electorate: A Cross-Validation of Voter Registration Files and Election Survey Demographics.” Public Opinion Quarterly 71:588–602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, Michael P. 2008. “The Return of the Voter: Voter Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election.” The Forum 6(4):Article 4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, Michael P., and Popkin, Samuel L.. 2001. “The Myth of the Vanishing Voter.” American Political Science Review 95:963–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKee, Seth C. 2010. Republican Ascendancy in Southern U.S. House Elections. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Nicholson-Crotty, Sean, and Meier, Kenneth J.. 2002. “Size Doesn't Matter: In Defense of Single-State Studies.” State Politics and Policy Quarterly 2:411–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parry, Hugh J., and Crossley, Helen M.. 1950. “Validity of Responses to Survey Questions.” Public Opinion Quarterly 14:61–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, Derek L., and Clancy, Kevin J.. 1972. “Some Effects of ‘Social Desirability’ in Survey Studies.” American Journal of Sociology 77:921–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Philpot, Tasha S., Shaw, Daron R., and McGowen, Ernest B.. 2009. “Winning the Race: Black Voter Turnout in the 2008 Presidential Election.” Public Opinion Quarterly 73:995–1022.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Plutzer, Eric. 2002. “Becoming a Habitual Voter: Inertia, Resources, and Growth in Young Adulthood.” American Political Science Review 96:41–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Presser, Stanley, and Traugott, Michael. 1992. “Little White Lies and Social Science Models: Correlated Response Errors in a Panel Study of Voting.” Public Opinion Quarterly 56:77–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Presser, Stanley, Traugott, Michael W., and Traugott, Santa. 1990. Vote “Over” Reporting in Surveys: The Records or the Respondents? ANES Technical Report Series, No. nes010157.Google Scholar
Shaw, Daron R., de la Garza, Rodolfo O., and Lee, Jongho. 2000. “Examining Latino Turnout in 1996: A Three-State, Validated Survey Approach.” American Journal of Political Science 44:338–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shingles, Richard D. 1981. “Black Consciousness and Political Participation: The Missing Link.” American Political Science Review 75:76–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sigelman, Lee. 1982. “The Nonvoting Voter in Voting Research.” American Journal of Political Science 26:47–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silver, Brian D., Abramson, Paul R., and Anderson, Barbara A.. 1986. “The Presence of Others and Overreporting of Voting in American National Elections.” Public Opinion Quarterly 50:228–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silver, Brian D., Anderson, Barbara A., and Abramson, Paul R.. 1986. “Who Overreports Voting?” American Political Science Review 80:613–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Timpone, Richard J. 1998. “Structure, Behavior, and Voter Turnout in the United States.” American Political Science Review 92:145–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Traugott, Michael W., and Katosh, John P.. 1979. “Validity in Surveys of Voting Behavior.” Public Opinion Quarterly 43:359–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Traugott, Michael W., Traugott, Santa, and Presser, Stanley. 1992. Revalidation of Self-Reported Vote. ANES Technical Report Series, No. nes010160.Google Scholar
Traugott, Santa. 1989. Validating Self-Reported Vote: 1964-1988. ANES Technical Report Series, No.nes010152.Google Scholar
Wolfinger, Raymond E., and Rosenstone, Steven J.. 1980. Who Votes? New Haven: Yale University Press.Google Scholar