Research: Oddly, Most Republicans Say Whites Face as Much Discrimination as Blacks & Hispanics

There are few issues that divide the political parties in America as much as race and new research provides some insight into that chasm. A recent survey conducted by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute [PRRI] found that Republicans are three times as likely as Democrats [62% to 19%] to believe that discrimination against whites is as prevalent as discrimination against Blacks, Hispanics and other minorities. Among Trump supporters the total jumps to 69%.

This simple study says volumes about what drives Republican voters and it has no basis in reality. There is simply no rational researcher out there documenting systemic discrimination against whites in America. It would be akin to seeking out QAnon's mythical "deep state cannibals." or the "War on Christmas."

On the other hand, there is a virtual mountain of research documenting racial discrimination toward minority groups going back decades, and the situation has not changed as much as we would like. This one meta-analysis of many studies from Northwestern University on hiring practices is a recent example.

PNAS.org: "This study investigates change over time in the level of hiring discrimination in US labor markets. We perform a meta-analysis of every available field experiment of hiring discrimination against African Americans or Latinos (n = 28). Together, these studies represent 55,842 applications submitted for 26,326 positions. We focus on trends since 1989 (n = 24 studies), when field experiments became more common and improved methodologically. Since 1989, whites receive on average 36% more callbacks than African Americans, and 24% more callbacks than Latinos. We observe no change in the level of hiring discrimination against African Americans over the past 25 years, although we find modest evidence of a decline in discrimination against Latinos. Accounting for applicant education, applicant gender, study method, occupational groups, and local labor market conditions does little to alter this result. Contrary to claims of declining discrimination in American society, our estimates suggest that levels of discrimination remain largely unchanged, at least at the point of hire."

And you can find similar research across almost every aspect of American life, as this 2019 study documented:

Health Services Research: "The extent of reported discrimination across several areas of life suggests a broad pattern of discrimination against blacks in America, beyond isolated experiences. Black‐white disparities exist on nearly all dimensions of experiences with public and private institutions, including health care and the police. Evidence of systemic discrimination suggests a need for more active institutional interventions to address racism in policy and practice."

So, why do many Trump supporters say that discrimination against whites is rampant in America despite so much well-publicized evidence to the contrary? It's likely that the survey contains a bit of what researchers call "response bias." Many white conservatives resent efforts to level the playing field in hiring practices and college admissions, among other things, and may have wanted to send that message to those conducting the study.

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By: Don Lam & Curated Content