The Political World: Voting, Tolerance, and Civility - Who Votes Democrat? Who Votes Republican?

The common belief is that minorities vote Democratic. The party claims that it is more compassionate and more willing to support and spend money on social programs aimed at helping people. The Democrats are for women, minorities, middle-class to lower income working families, and union members. Is this an accurate assumption?

The data track how minorities voted in presidential elections from 1980-2000. During the 1980s, whites favored Reagan, a president widely regarded as favoring big business and wealthy families. Fifty-six percent voted Republican vs. 36% Democratic in 1980; 64% vs. 35% in 1984. White votes were split rather evenly between Clinton and his challengers (43% vs. 44% in 1996), but whites strongly favored Bush over Gore in 2000 (54% to 42%). Perhaps some just did not like Gore. After the scandals of the Clinton presidency, perhaps some felt the country needed a more conservative presence in the White House.

Blacks and Hispanics routinely vote Democratic, in some cases overwhelmingly so. In 1984, 64% of whites voted for Reagan and 35% for Mondale; however, 90% of blacks and 62% of Hispanics voted for Mondale. Eighty-five percent of blacks supported Carter in 1980, as did 59% of Hispanics but only 36% of whites.

Age did not play much of a role in voting either. Ninety percent of African Americans between ages 18-29 voted for Carter in 1980; 84% of blacks between 45-59 did. In 1988, 86% of 18-29 year olds cast a vote for Mondale; so did 86% of men 45 to 59.

Asian voting patterns were more evenly distributed. They were slightly more inclined to vote Republican, a party that perhaps most accurately reflects their conservative principles: 55% supported Bush in 1992, compared to 31% for Clinton. In 1996, 46% supported Dole compared to 43% for Clinton. However, 54% supported Gore in the 2000 election, compared to 41% for Bush.

Some questions to be raised here: what, or who, influences our vote? Do we vote a straight ticket ("I always vote Republican")? Are we shaped by our upbringing and our parents' voting preferences? ("This is a democratic house.") How much are we persuaded by a candidate's record and performance? What really influences our vote?

Source: Connelley, Marjorie. "Who Voted: A Portrait of American Politics, 1976-2000." New York Times. 12 November 2000, p. 4. Data for 2000 were collected by Voter News Service based on questionnaires completed by 13,279 voters leaving 300 polling places on Election Day. 1996 data came from a survey of 16,627 voters. 1992 data came from a survey of 15,490 voters. Data from 1980 - 1988 came from the New York Times and CBS News: 11,645 in 1998, 9,174 in 1984, 15,201 in 1980.