Politics of Race

November 1, 2004

DSA has released a new study of the way in which racism and racial politics paved the way for the right wing assault on the safety net provisions enacted during the New Deal and the Great Society.

The study authored by Professor Joseph M. Schwartz, chair of the Political Science Department at Temple University and a member of DSA's National Political Committee, first appeared in the Spring 2004 issue of Democratic Left. It has now been released as a separate report and is available as a free download on the resources page of the DSA web site:

"There are numerous causes for the relative backwardness of American welfare state provisions, but one major factor, not adequately addressed by both mainstream commentators and some on the left, is the role racism and racial politics has played -- historically and today -- in dividing the natural constituencies of the left and in weakening popular support for public provision. This study offers such an analysis and outlines a strategic response to this stark reality," said Professor Schwartz.

DSA Releases Study on the Politics of Race