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Beyond Welfare: Framing and the Racialization of White Opinion on Social Security

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  • Nicholas J. G. Winter

Abstract

In this article I argue that the framing of Social Security in political discourse has associated it symbolically with race. The linkages are subtle and symbolic, and they serve to associate Social Security with whiteness in a mirror image of the association of welfare with blackness. In turn, these associations have racialized white opinion on the program. After discussing the theoretical mechanism by which issue frames can unconsciously associate policies with citizens' racial predispositions, I review the frames surrounding Social Security. Then, drawing on two decades of nationally representative survey data, I demonstrate the racialization of opinion among whites. Using a variety of measures of racial predispositions, I find that racially conservative whites feel more positively about Social Security than do racial liberals. I conclude by considering the implications of these findings for our understanding of racialized politics and for the connections between race, whiteness, and contemporary American politics.

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  • Nicholas J. G. Winter, 2006. "Beyond Welfare: Framing and the Racialization of White Opinion on Social Security," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(2), pages 400-420, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:50:y:2006:i:2:p:400-420
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5907.2006.00191.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Alberto Alesina & Stefanie Stantcheva, 2020. "Diversity, Immigration, and Redistribution," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 110, pages 329-334, May.
    2. Durocher, Sylvain & Georgiou, Omiros, 2022. "Framing accounting for goodwill: Intractable controversies between users and standard setters," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    3. Alberto Alesina & Armando Miano & Stefanie Stantcheva, 2020. "The Polarization of Reality," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 110, pages 324-328, May.
    4. H. Abbie Erler, 2012. "A New Face of Poverty? Economic Crises and Poverty Discourses," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 4(4), pages 183-204, December.
    5. Jana Morgan & Nathan J. Kelly, 2010. "Explaining Public Attitudes toward Fighting Inequality in Latin America," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 2(3), pages 79-111, August.
    6. Rodriguez, Hector P. & Laugesen, Miriam J. & Watts, Carolyn A., 2010. "A randomized experiment of issue framing and voter support of tax increases for health insurance expansion," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(2-3), pages 245-255, December.

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