This abstract is summarized by IPR from the original journal article published in the Journal of Black Studies.
Dr. Damion Waymer and Dr. Robert L. Heath explored racial gerrymandering in the U.S. state of South Carolina.
A case study was conducted to look at political control, power management, and government communication.
Researchers found that messaging from an elite individual or group’s perspectives deliver them to power by marginalizing others and their perspectives. This creates what is referred to as a “reward structure”. Researchers also explored the notion of “American Exceptionalism” in the United States and how it is used to impose control that marginalizes certain groups in U.S. Southern politics.
Read more to learn about the effects of racial gerrymandering and notions like American Exceptionalism.
Location: free abstract here, purchase full article.
Citation:
Waymer, D., & Heath, R. L. (2016). Black voter dilution, American Exceptionalism, and racial gerrymandering: The paradox of the positive in political public relations. Journal of Black Studies 47, 635-58.
