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Minority Turnout Determined the 2012 Election
Minority Turnout Determined the 2012 Election
Source: Brookings Institution
While it may seem like the 2012 presidential election has been analyzed to death, the recent release of the Census Bureau’s November election survey points out the key role that minority voter turnout, especially for blacks, played in determining the outcome.
Until now, most of what we knew came from the National Election Pool exit poll which elicited Election Day candidate preferences of voters. The new, larger survey from the Census Bureau permits an examination of the voting-eligible population and the extent to which they turned out to vote. These turnout rates tell us a lot more about the enthusiasm, or lack thereof, among different groups.
Already, the Census Bureau’s report trumpeted the historically noteworthy finding that black turnout rates in 2012 exceeded that of whites for the first time. This, in an election when white turnout declined significantly and Hispanic and Asian turnout inched down modestly from 2008.
The rising black turnout can be viewed, to some degree, as continued strong support for the first black president. The downturn of white turnout might be attributed, in part, to a lack of enthusiasm for either candidate or politics in general during a sluggish economy.
Blacks Voted at a Higher Rate than Whites in 2012 Election — A First, Census Bureau Reports
Blacks Voted at a Higher Rate than Whites in 2012 Election — A First, Census Bureau Reports
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
About two in three eligible blacks (66.2 percent) voted in the 2012 presidential election, higher than the 64.1 percent of non-Hispanic whites who did so, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released today. This marks the first time that blacks have voted at a higher rate than whites since the Census Bureau started publishing statistics on voting by the eligible citizen population in 1996.
These findings come from The Diversifying Electorate — Voting Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2012 (and Other Recent Elections), which provides analysis of the likelihood of voting by demographic factors, such as race, Hispanic origin, sex, age and geography (specifically, census divisions). The report draws upon data from the November 2012 Current Population Survey Voting and Registration Supplement and looks at presidential elections back to 1996. Using the race definitions from 1968 and the total voting-age population, whites voted at higher rates than blacks in every presidential election between 1968, when the Census Bureau began publishing voting data by race, and 1992.
Blacks were the only race or ethnic group to show a significant increase between the 2008 and 2012 elections in the likelihood of voting (from 64.7 percent to 66.2 percent). The 2012 increase in voting among blacks continues what has been a long-term trend: since 1996, turnout rates have risen 13 percentage points to the highest levels of any recent presidential election. In contrast, after reaching a high in 2004, non-Hispanic white voting rates have dropped in two consecutive elections. Between 2008 and 2012, rates for non-Hispanic whites dropped from 66.1 percent to 64.1 percent. As recently as 1996, blacks had turnout rates 8 percentage points lower than non-Hispanic whites.
Overall, the percentage of eligible citizens who voted declined from 63.6 percent in 2008 to 61.8 percent in 2012.
Both blacks and non-Hispanic whites had voting rates higher than Hispanics and Asians in the 2012 election (about 48 percent each).
Estimating Racial Price Differentials in the Housing Market
Estimating Racial Price Differentials in the Housing Market (PDF)
Source: National Bureau of Economic Research
This paper uses unique panel data covering over two million repeat-sales housing transactions from four metropolitan areas to test for the presence of racial price differentials in the housing market. Drawing on the strengths of these data, our research design controls carefully for unobserved differences in the quality of neighborhoods and the homes purchased by buyers of each race. We find that black and Hispanic homebuyers pay premiums of about three percent on average across the four cities, differences that are not explained by variation in buyer income, wealth or access to credit. Further, the estimated premiums do not vary significantly with the racial composition of the neighborhood; nor, strikingly, do they vary with the race of the seller. This latter finding suggests that racial prejudice on the part of sellers is not the primary explanation for the robust premiums we uncover. The results have implications for the evolution of racial differences in wealth and home ownership and the persistence of residential segregation.
The Hispanic Paradox and Older Adults’ Disabilities: Is There a Healthy Migrant Effect?
The Hispanic Paradox and Older Adults’ Disabilities: Is There a Healthy Migrant Effect? (PDF)
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The “Hispanic Paradox” suggests that despite rates of poverty similar to African Americans, Hispanics have far better health and mortality outcomes, more comparable to non-Hispanic White Americans. Three prominent possible explanations for the Hispanic Paradox have emerged. The “Healthy Migrant Effect” suggests a health selection effect due to the demands of migration. The Hispanic lifestyle hypothesis focuses on Hispanics’ strong social ties and better health behaviors. The reverse migration argument suggests that the morbidity profile in the USA is affected when many Hispanic immigrants return to their native countries after developing a serious illness. We analyzed data from respondents aged 55 and over from the nationally representative 2006 American Community Survey including Mexican Americans (13,167 U.S. born; 11,378 immigrants), Cuban Americans (314 U.S. born; 3,730 immigrants), and non-Hispanic White Americans (629,341 U.S. born; 31,164 immigrants). The healthy migrant effect was supported with SES-adjusted disability comparable between Mexican, Cuban and non-Hispanic Whites born in the USA and all immigrants having lower adjusted odds of functional limitations than U.S. born non-Hispanic Whites. The reverse migration hypothesis was partially supported, with citizenship and longer duration in the USA associated with higher rates of SES-adjusted disability for Mexican Americans. The Hispanic healthy life-style explanation had little support in this study. Our findings underline the importance of considering nativity when planning for health interventions to address the needs of the growing Hispanic American older adult population.
Less Than Equal: Racial Disparities in Wealth Accumulation
Less Than Equal: Racial Disparities in Wealth Accumulation
Source: Urban Institute
Income inequality understates the size of the economic gap between whites and minorities in the United States. In 2010, whites on average had two times the income of blacks and Hispanics, but six times the wealth. Analyses of wealth accumulation over the life cycle show that the racial wealth gap grows sharply with age. Wealth isn’t just money in the bank, it’s insurance against tough times, tuition to get a better education and a better job, savings to retire on, and a springboard into the middle class.
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimonies
Source: Government Accountability Office
Reports
1. Offshore Tax Evasion: IRS Has Collected Billions of Dollars, but May be Missing Continued Evasion. GAO-13-318, March 27.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-318
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653370.pdf
2. VA and IHS: Further Action Needed to Collaborate on Providing Health Care to Native American Veterans. GAO-13-354, April 26.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-354
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654224.pdf
3. Missile Defense: Opportunity to Refocus on Strengthening Acquisition Management. GAO-13-432, April 26.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-432
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654234.pdf
Testimonies
1. Department of Homeland Security: Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Efficiency and Effectiveness, Achieve Cost Savings, and Improve Management Functions, by Cathleen A. Berrick, managing director, homeland security and justice, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency, House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-13-547T, April 26.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-547T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654210.pdf
2. Social Security Administration: Preliminary Observations on Key Management Challenges, by Daniel Bertoni, director, education, workforce, and income security issues, before the Subcommittee on Social Security, House Committee on Ways and Means. GAO-13-545T, April 26.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-545T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654214.pdf
Motor Vehicle Traffic-Related Pedestrian Deaths — United States, 2001–2010
Motor Vehicle Traffic-Related Pedestrian Deaths — United States, 2001–2010
Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC)
Motor vehicle traffic crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in the United States, resulting in 33,687 deaths in 2010 (1). Pedestrian travel makes up 10.5% of all trips (i.e., any travel from one address to another) taken in the United States, and pedestrians represent 13% of all motor vehicle traffic-related deaths (1,2). To determine traffic-related pedestrian death rates by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, and urbanization level, CDC analyzed 2001–2010 data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). The results of that analysis indicated that the overall, annualized, age-adjusted traffic-related pedestrian death rate was 1.58 deaths per 100,000 population. Persons aged ≥75 years and those categorized as American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) had the highest death rates, and age group differences varied by race/ethnicity. The results suggest that the overall pedestrian death rate could increase with the aging and growing racial/ethnic diversity of the U.S. population. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the number of persons aged ≥75 years will more than double, from approximately 18 million in 2011 (6% of the U.S. population) to 44 million in 2040 (12% of the population); minority racial/ethnic populations are projected to increase from 116 million in 2010 (37% of the population) to 186 million in 2040 (49% of the population).* Strategies to prevent pedestrian deaths should include consideration of the needs of older adults and cultural differences among racial/ethnic populations.
NWLC Analysis Shows Striking Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Gender Wage Gaps
NWLC Analysis Shows Striking Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Gender Wage Gaps
Source: National Women’s Law Center
The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) today released a comprehensive analysis of the gender wage gap, revealing especially striking racial and ethnic disparities. Women who work full time, year round are paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts—a pay gap that translates to $11,084 in lost wages annually. In Wyoming—the state with the worst wage gap for women overall—this figure is a mere 67 cents. But the Center’s analysis shows that a wage gap of Wyoming’s magnitude, or worse, is the norm for women of color. In 34 states and Washington, D.C., African-American women working full time, year round are paid less than two-thirds of what their white, non-Hispanic male counterparts are paid. For Hispanic women, a similar disparity exists in all but four states.
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office
AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINES
Some Consumer Fees Have Increased
GAO-13-266, Apr 11, 2013
COMMERCIAL SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL
Observations on the Key Attributes and Challenges of Storage and Disposal Options
GAO-13-532T, Apr 11, 2013
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE
GAO-13-272, Apr 11, 2013
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S LONG-TERM FISCAL OUTLOOK
Spring 2013 Update
GAO-13-481SP, Apr 11, 2013
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS
Outcome-Based Measures Would Assist DHS in Assessing Effectiveness of Cybersecurity Efforts
GAO-13-275, Apr 3, 2013
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Additional Actions Needed to Enhance Program Efficiency and Resource Management
GAO-13-505T, Apr 10, 2013
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
GAO-13-243, Mar 11, 2013
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
Governmentwide Strategy Needed to Better Manage Overlapping Programs
GAO-13-529T, Apr 10, 2013
How Pay Inequity Hurts Women of Color
How Pay Inequity Hurts Women of Color
Source: Center for American Progress
As a group, women of color earn less than their white female peers—a reality that means they need to work longer to earn the same pay as white women and then even longer to match the earnings of white men. The gender- and race-based wage gap affects families of color with long-term consequences that hinder wealth accumulation.
Women currently make up about half of all workers in the U.S. labor force and among mothers in the labor force the majority are either breadwinners or share that responsibility with a partner. In 2010, 13.1 percent of women in the workforce were black, 4.7 percent were Asian, and 12.8 percent were Latina. What’s more, these women of color are increasingly the breadwinners in their families—53.3 percent of black households and 40.1 percent of Latino households.
This issue brief will examine our nation’s gender-based wage gap and its racial overlay. It will look specifically at the long-term implications of the wage gap on communities of color and then suggest policy recommendations to narrow and eventually eliminate the wage gap to ensure equal work earns equal pay.
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office
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BORDER SECURITY
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CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION
GAO-13-353
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MANAGEMENT REPORT
Improvements Needed in SEC’s Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures
GAO-13-274R
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office
1. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Standards Needed to Improve Identification of Racial and Ethnic Overrepresentation in Special Education. GAO-13-137, February 27.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-137
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/652436.pdf
2. California High-Speed Passenger Rail: Project Estimates Could Be Improved to Better Inform Future Decisions. GAO-13-304, March 28.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-304
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653402.pdf
3. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute: Review of the Audit of the Financial Statements for 2012 and 2011. GAO-13-390R, March 29.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-390R
Hispanics in the United States: Not Only Mexicans
Hispanics in the United States: Not Only Mexicans (PDF)
Source: Brown University (American Communities Project)
When studies are done of Hispanics, the results mostly reflect the experience of Mexicans who are more than 60% of the total. But observers would be mistaken if they thought they knew Hispanics in the U.S. by looking only at Mexicans. The differences among Hispanic groups are becoming more salient in three ways.
First, non-Mexicans are growing fast and are now present in large numbers…
Second, some groups are doing a lot better than Mexicans. Puerto Ricans and Cubans earn more, and Agentinas and Venezuelans earn much more…
Third, these groups also have different levels and trends in separation from non-Hispanics. South Americans are less segregated than Mexicans, while Dominicans and Central Americans are much more segregated…
CRS — Membership of the113th Congress: A Profile
Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile (PDF)
Source: Congressional Research Service (via U.S. State Department Foreign Policy Center)
This report presents a profile of the membership of the 113th Congress (2013-2014). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
As of February 2013, in the House of Representatives, there are 232 Republicans, 206 Democrats (including 5 Delegates and the Resident Commissioner), and 3 vacant seats. The Senate has 45 Republicans, 53 Democrats, and 2 Independents, who caucus with the Democrats.
The average age of Members of the House at the beginning of the 113th Congress was 57.0 years; and of Senators, 62.0 years. The overwhelming majority of Members of Congress have a college education. The dominant professions of Members are public service/politics, business, and law. Most Members identify as Christians, and Protestants collectively constitute the majority religious affiliation. Roman Catholics account for the largest single religious denomination, and numerous other affiliations are represented.
The average length of service for Representatives at the beginning of the 113th Congress was 9.1 years (4.6 terms); for Senators, 10.2 years (1.7 terms).
One hundred women (a record number) serve in the 113th Congress: 80 in the House, including 3 Delegates, and 20 in the Senate. There are 43 African American Members of the House and 2 in the Senate. This House number includes 2 Delegates. There are 38 Hispanic or Latino Members (a record number) serving: 34 in the House, including 1 Delegate and the Resident Commissioner, and 4 in the Senate. Thirteen Members (10 Representatives, 2 Delegates, and 1 Senator) are Asian American or Pacific Islanders. Two American Indians (Native Americans) serve in the House.
The portions of this report covering political party affiliation, gender, ethnicity, and vacant seats will be updated as events warrant. The remainder of the report will not be updated.
Increasing Organizational Diversity in 21st-Century Policing: Lessons from the U.S. Military
Increasing Organizational Diversity in 21st-Century Policing: Lessons from the U.S. Military
Source: RAND Corporation
Both the military and police departments are concerned about recruiting and promoting a racially/ethnically diverse workforce. This paper discusses three broad lessons from the Military Leadership Diversity Commission (MLDC) that can be used to inform police department hiring and personnel management: qualified minority candidates are available, career paths impact diversity, and departments should leverage organizational commitment to diversity. Additionally, specific suggestions are given as to how law enforcement agencies can incorporate each of these lessons.
Progress in Increasing Breastfeeding and Reducing Racial/Ethnic Differences — United States, 2000–2008 Birth s
Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC)
The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes breastfeeding and human milk as the "normative standards for infant feeding." Given the documented health benefits, the Academy recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding for at least 12 months as complementary foods are introduced (1). To better understand trends during 2000–2008 and differences in breastfeeding initiation and duration overall and among black, white, and Hispanic infants born in 2000 and 2008, CDC analyzed National Immunization Survey (NIS) data. Among infants born in 2000, 70.3% had ever breastfed (had breastfeeding initiated), 34.5% breastfed for 6 months, and 16.0% breastfed for 12 months. Among infants born in 2008, the comparable percentages had increased to 74.6%, 44.4%, and 23.4%, respectively. By race/ethnicity, prevalence of breastfeeding initiation in 2000 was 47.4% among blacks, 71.8% among whites, and 77.6% among Hispanics. By 2008, the percentage of infants who ever breastfed had increased among blacks to 58.9% and among whites to 75.2%; an 80.0% prevalence among Hispanics did not amount to a statistically significant increase. From 2000 to 2008, breastfeeding at 6 and 12 months increased significantly among all three racial/ethnic populations. Although the gap between black and white breastfeeding initiation narrowed, black infants still had the lowest prevalences of breastfeeding initiation and duration, highlighting the need for targeted interventions in this population to promote and support breastfeeding. Despite increases in the prevalence of breastfeeding, fewer than half of the infants in the survey were still breastfeeding at 6 months, indicating that women who choose to breastfeed their infants need support to continue breastfeeding.
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office
ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
Long History of Management Challenges Raises Concerns about VA’s and DOD’s New Approach to Sharing Health Information
GAO-13-413T, Feb 27, 2013
GAO’S 2013 HIGH-RISK UPDATE
Medicare and Medicaid
GAO-13-433T, Feb 27, 2013
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Management Challenges Continue to Hinder Efforts to Improve Indian Education
GAO-13-342T, Feb 27, 2013
STRATEGIC SOURCING
Improved and Expanded Use Could Provide Procurement Savings for Federal Information Technology
GAO-13-408T, Feb 27, 2013
Poverty Rates for Selected Detailed Race and Hispanic Groups by State and Place: 2007–2011
Poverty Rates for Selected Detailed Race and Hispanic Groups by State and Place: 2007–2011 (PDF)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Poverty rates are important indicators of community well-being and are used by government agencies and organizations to allocate need-based resources. The American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data allow for the analysis of poverty rates by race and Hispanic origin for many levels of geography.
In this report, poverty rates are summarized by race and Hispanic origin for the United States, each state, and the District of Columbia.
Poverty rates are also presented for selected detailed race and origin groups in the cities and towns with the largest populations of these groups. For the nation and selected places, poverty rates are summarized for detailed Asian groups with populations of 750,000 or more, detailed Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander groups with populations of 25,000 or more, and detailed Hispanic groups with populations of 1 million or more.
The Impact of Affirmative Action Bans in Graduate Fields of Study
The Impact of Affirmative Action Bans in Graduate Fields of Study
Source: American Education Research Journal
Important findings on the impact of banning affirmative action in higher education were just published in the American Educational Research Journal (AERJ) in Online First. Affirmative action in university admissions has long been a matter of public debate, and Fisher v. University of Texas, Austin has placed its use in admissions policy as an issue before the U.S. Supreme Court. AERJ is a top-ranked peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association.
The article, “Understanding the Impact of Affirmative Action Bans in Different Graduate Fields of Study,” presents the results of a study undertaken by Liliana M. Garces, George Washington University. Garces examines the effects of affirmative action bans on the enrollment of students of color across six fields of graduate study in four states—California, Florida, Texas, and Washington. The six fields of graduate study are the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, business, education, and humanities.
Garces’ research shows that the impact of affirmative action bans was most pronounced in engineering, natural sciences, and social sciences, fields in which students of color already are underrepresented. She encourages educators to reconsider their admissions practices and consider the benefits of campus diversity for all students, benefits that include enhanced critical thinking skills, cultural awareness, civic engagement, and workforce competencies/leadership skills.
In light of national concerns over underrepresentation of students of color in the fields of science and engineering, Garces says that banning all affirmative action considerations in admissions in graduate fields of study has consequences. “As institutions struggle to increase the representation of students of color in graduate programs, particularly in STEM fields, the findings from this study suggest that bans on affirmative action are inhibiting these efforts. . . . Graduate education programs will need to rise to the challenge and adopt innovative outreach and recruitment practices and adopt admissions criteria to help reverse this trend.”
Second-Generation Americans: A Portrait of the Adult Children of Immigrants
Second-Generation Americans: A Portrait of the Adult Children of Immigrants
Source: Pew Social & Demographic Trends
Second-generation Americans—the 20 million adult U.S.-born children of immigrants—are substantially better off than immigrants themselves on key measures of socioeconomic attainment, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. They have higher incomes; more are college graduates and homeowners; and fewer live in poverty. In all of these measures, their characteristics resemble those of the full U.S. adult population.
Hispanics and Asian Americans make up about seven-in-ten of today’s adult immigrants and about half of today’s adult second generation. Pew Research surveys find that the second generations of both groups are much more likely than the immigrants to speak English; to have friends and spouses outside their ethnic or racial group, to say their group gets along well with others, and to think of themselves as a “typical American.”
The Pew Research surveys also find that second-generation Hispanics and Asian Americans place more importance than does the general public on hard work and career success. They are more inclined to call themselves liberal and less likely to identify as Republicans. And for the most part they are more likely to say their standard of living is higher than that of their parents at the same stage of life. In all of these measures, the second generation resembles the immigrant generation more closely than the general public.
