The Influence of the Great Recession on Racial Attitudes Among Non-Hispanic Whites in the United States

The focus of our study is to understand the effects of the 2008–2009 economic recession on the racial attitudes of non-Hispanic whites using consumer sentiment as an indicator of economic stress associated with the recession. We use 2006, 2008, and 2010 cross-sectional data from the General Social Survey, and we limit our analysis to respondents who identified themselves as non-Hispanic whites to test our theory that the recession heightened racial attitudes among whites. Our results indicate that after the recession (but not before), consumer sentiment becomes negatively associated with the probability that non-Hispanic whites agree with the view that the USA is spending too much on improving the living conditions of Blacks. This is in sharp contrast to the positive relationship we find between consumer sentiment and white’s support for the view that the USA is spending too much on national defense during the same time period. Overall, we conclude that the Great Recession did affect the racial attitudes of whites and that consumer sentiment is a strong predictor of policy preferences that cue race. Our results have implications for scholars interested in how the Great Recession heightened racial attitudes and influenced the policy decisions of whites.