Newswise — As the U.S. Census Bureau releases figures from the 2010 census, political scientist Angie Maxwell of the University of Arkansas is available to discuss demographics of Tea Party members and their opinions on political and social issues, both in the South and nationally. Maxwell draws on findings from the 2010 Blair-Rockefeller Poll, which has a large sampling of Tea Party members. Nationally 10.6 percent identify as being Tea Party members, and 34 percent of Tea Party members live in the South. Tea Party members are predominantly white, middle class, educated, Christian males over the age of 45 and are more politically aware and engaged than non-Tea Party members.
“Tea Party members are twice as likely as others to believe that African-Americans have more opportunities than whites. And, the majority of Tea Party members do not believe the federal government is responsible for providing minorities with jobs or schools equal in quality to whites,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell is the Diane D. Blair Professor of Southern Studies in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas.
The Blair-Rockefeller Poll was created by political scientists Todd Shields, Pearl Ford Dowe, Angie Maxwell and Rafael Jimeno of the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society at the University of Arkansas. With over 3,400 respondents, the poll has a national scope as well as ample sampling of such traditionally under-polled groups as African-Americans and Latinos. Additionally, by addressing topics that have been little studied, the poll allows researchers to identify socio-cultural influences on political values throughout the country with an emphasis on the South. The Blair Center partners with the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute to produce the Blair-Rockefeller Poll.
The Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society was established in 2001 by an act of the U.S. Congress and named in honor of political scientist Diane Divers Blair, who taught for 30 years in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. The center studies the American South from a variety of angles to reveal the undercurrents of politics, history and culture that have shaped the region over time. For more information about the Blair Center, visit blaircenter.uark.edu or contact director Todd Shields at [email protected].
The University of Arkansas System established the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute in 2005 with a grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Charitable Trust. Based on the legacy and ideas of former Arkansas Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller, this educational institute and conference center offers workshops, seminars, public lectures, conferences and special events. Program areas include agriculture and environment, arts and humanities, economic development, and policy and public affairs. For more information about the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, visit LiveTheLegacy.org or contact program director Susan Dumas at [email protected].
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