Presenter(s)
Nevaeh Johnson
Abstract
Past research consistently finds racial differences in federal political trust. Studies using data from the ANES, NAES, GSS and SCCBS surveys show that Black Americans often report lower levels of trust in federal government than White Americans. However, these effects are often reduced when controlling for factors such as partisanship, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and even experiences with discrimination. While past literature highlights the importance of race, the use of control variables makes it harder to isolate races direct impact on trust in federal government. Guided by a deductive theory, this study examines the direct, observational relationship and trust in the federal government without control variables. Using data from the 2020 American National Election Studies Survey, and using cross-tabulation and a chi-square analysis, I test the hypothesis that individuals who identify as Black will report lower levels of trust in the federal government than those who identify as White. I hope to find that even without controls, Black respondents have slightly lower levels of trust compared to White respondents in the federal government. This would support the argument that race alone is a meaningful association to political trust.
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department
Political Science & Public Administration
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Elissa Alzate
Location
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
Start Date
4-23-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
4-23-2026 11:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
1b=10am-11am
Poster Number
38
Impact of Race on Trust in Government
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
Past research consistently finds racial differences in federal political trust. Studies using data from the ANES, NAES, GSS and SCCBS surveys show that Black Americans often report lower levels of trust in federal government than White Americans. However, these effects are often reduced when controlling for factors such as partisanship, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and even experiences with discrimination. While past literature highlights the importance of race, the use of control variables makes it harder to isolate races direct impact on trust in federal government. Guided by a deductive theory, this study examines the direct, observational relationship and trust in the federal government without control variables. Using data from the 2020 American National Election Studies Survey, and using cross-tabulation and a chi-square analysis, I test the hypothesis that individuals who identify as Black will report lower levels of trust in the federal government than those who identify as White. I hope to find that even without controls, Black respondents have slightly lower levels of trust compared to White respondents in the federal government. This would support the argument that race alone is a meaningful association to political trust.
Comments
Johnson, Nevaeh