Introduction Did protests shape politics beyond formal institutional change? This article argues that social movements like the U.S. civil rights era can also create long-lasting attitudinal shifts.
The Case Study: Civil Rights Movement Using this pivotal movement as a lens, I examine how historical confrontations influenced contemporary political attitudes despite ongoing institutional reforms.
Methodology & Data Our analysis draws from survey data representing over 150,000 respondents across various counties. We specifically examine whites living in areas with documented civil rights protest activity.
Key Findings 🔹 Individuals exposed to protests show:
🔹 Higher likelihood of identifying as Democrats
🔹 Stronger support for affirmative action policies
🔹 Reduced levels of racial resentment against Black communities
These attitudinal patterns persist today, significantly influencing political behaviors even decades after the events themselves.
Broader Implications 📍 Counties with civil rights protest histories continue to show higher Democratic voting rates. This suggests that social movements can fundamentally reshape national politics at a deep attitudinal level.
| The Persistent Effect of U.S. Civil Rights Protests on Political Attitudes was authored by Shom Mazumder. It was published by Wiley in AJPS in 2018. |
