Race Policy & American Politics

The changing definitions of race in America have been shaped by political institutions for centuries. Now, as since the founding of this nation, the U.S. (and societies abroad) are marked by racial inequality. Because of this persistent reality, politics and race continue to be intertwined.

This course explores the various ways in which race and politics intersect (and possibly collide). We will observe how racial inequality - and the efforts to overcome it- affect various facets of American local, state, and national politics. Often, New York City will be the launching point for broader discussions and analyses pertaining to relationships between Blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asians. We will also pay particular attention to the causes of contemporary racial mobilization and to its consequences. In particular, we will discuss how NYC is affected by former executives as well as the current governor and president and the remnants of the racialized/racist tone of the Trump presidency and his administration.

We will explore the origins of race as an organizing concept before moving into a discussion of contemporary racial politics and policy. Using themes such as inequality and governance, we will attempt to further discern the institutions which support and perpetuate practices such as disenfranchisement, gentrification, tiered civil rights and liberties, and possibilities for economic and special mobility.

We will take up several topics that have engaged students of politics and scholars of policy for the past few decades and examine their relationship to race. These include but are not limited to education, immigration, transportation, housing, health, elections, social movements, poverty and homelessness, political representation, justice and inequality. We will also dissect these topics in relation to party politics and elections, group consciousness, group conflict and prejudice, political representation, and political unity – and often disunity – among dominant and non- dominant groups. As we do so, we will explore changes as well as continuities in the intersection of race and politics.

Throughout the course we will consider several questions: Does a collective racial identity exist when seeking policy change? Should the notion of race-based policy making cease on a local, national or even international level? What can we learn from coalition politics in New York City and the U.S. more broadly? What does “political change” look like in 21st cen