Race, Racism, and Public Support for U.S. Foreign Policy
A familiar refrain in American politics is that the U.S.
spends vast amounts of defense but spends relatively little on social welfare
compared to other democracies. While previous studies have demonstrated that
race and racism play a major role in low levels of public support in the U.S.
among white Americans, relatively little attention has been paid to the
influence of social identities in support for U.S. militarism. Using survey
data, I find race to play a central role in motivating support for U.S.
militarism in terms of defense spending, the use of force, and feeling
threatened by other nations. Of particular note given current events are the
findings regarding the role of race and racism in the perception of China as a
threat to the United States.