White Americans oppose federal programs to spite other races: study

Attendees react during the AmericaFest 2024 conference sponsored by conservative group Turning Point in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. December 19, 2024. REUTERS-Cheney Orr

Research reveals that white people appear to support social safety net programs unless they perceive those programs as also helping nonwhites.

“White Americans who feel they are on the losing side of politics are more likely to oppose economic redistribution programs,” reports PsyPost, citing research posted in Research and Politics. “This effect only appears when people compare their political standing directly to that of racial minorities.

Economic redistribution involves transferring wealth or income within a society, usually through taxation and social welfare programs, reports PsyPost, and in many developed nations, high levels of income inequality usually lead to increased public demand for these programs. But the U.S. is different in this regard. Despite the nation suffering high economic inequality, public support for government redistribution remains relatively low.

University of Delaware political scientists Sumeyye Mine Iltekin Gocer and Joanne M. Miller, wanted to test how these social comparisons operate across racial lines. What they learned was that hostility to safety net programs appears to be an issue primarily with White people — even those in poverty — because they fear the programs give nonwhites a boost.

The researchers focused specifically on more than 700 white survey respondents and divided them into two groups: those asked “whether white Americans have been winning or losing in politics lately,” and those asked “if white Americans have been winning or losing in politics compared to racial minorities.”

Both groups were then asked to rate their support for two specific types of economic proposals, reports PsyPost. “The first was an index of general economic redistribution, and included questions about government intervention to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. The second policy question was more targeted: It asked if the current government is spending too much or too little to reduce income disparities between white people and racial minorities.

“[White respondents in the second group] who felt their group was losing in politics became less supportive of both types of economic redistribution,” said PsyPost. “They opposed general public welfare programs and initiatives specifically aimed at reducing racial inequality.

Researches noticed also that the relationship held true regardless of the respondents’ income, employment status, political ideology, or underlying racial beliefs.

“The results highlight the power of framing in political messaging,” according to PsyPost. “The mere feeling of losing is not enough to shift economic policy preferences toward the conservative end of the spectrum. A person has to feel that they are losing out relative to another specific demographic group.”

The study suggests why populist leaders like President Donald Trump and MAGA frequently rely on group-based rhetoric to build a white base.

“Stoking fears of relative decline appears to be a highly effective way to mobilize opposition to egalitarian economic policies,” PsyPost reports.

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