Professor Shields, director of the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics & Society at the University of Arkansas, found that black people and Latinos in the South may be more optimistic than politicians have perceived. According to the poll, these groups have a better rate of employment in the South than they do elsewhere.
The report finds that 46 percent of African Americans in the South work as paid employees, while 39.7 percent of African Americans in other regions are currently employed.
The findings “may require scholars and political strategists to reconsider previous approaches during the upcoming presidential election,” said Shields, in a press release.
Shields also suggested that the Democratic Party could find more support from Southern African Americans and Latinos.
Previous research has claimed that high unemployment rates result in pessimism for the incumbent party. While unemployment rates are substantial among African Americans and Latinos, those who live in the South apparently have positive expectations for the future.
According to the report, more African Americans in the South believe their financial situation will be better off than people in other regions, and of other races.
The poll Shields and others based their report on, asked: “Thinking about your economic situation, what was your financial situation a year ago?” It found that 58 percent of respondents feel that it has remained the same, 21 percent feel that their economic situation has improved, and only 19 percent feel that they are worse off.
The report was meant to helps researchers identify sociocultural influences on political views throughout the country, especially in the South.
Political scientists Shields, Pearl Ford Dowe, Angie Maxwell, and Rafael Jimeno authored the report at the University of Arkansas.
Over 3,400 individuals across the country participated in an online poll. It sampled traditionally under-polled groups: African Americans and Latinos.
Not everyone agrees that the optimism is realistic.
“As far as Atlanta is concerned, our unemployment issue is higher than the average in America. We also have a fairly high homeless rate,” said Robert Myrick, an African American college student at Morehouse College.
“Of course there is no set answer for the people’s opinion on this … but a lot of people are holding D.C. accountable, asking ‘Where are the jobs that you guys are promising us?’. Atlanta is a major city—why is there a shortage of jobs?” Myrick said.
“Congressman John Lewis held the [Black Caucus] job fair earlier this year, and thousands of people showed up, because a lot of people in the African American community are unemployed,” Myrick said.
Findings from the poll could be a massive or minuscule hope for politicians.
