Current Research and Policy Activities
Political Participation
When the Joint Center opened its doors in 1970, our first research area focused on African American Political Participation. The institution's work in this area is widely acknowledged as among the best in the field. The Joint Center's Roster of Black Elected Officials, as well as its National Opinion Polls of African Americans, have been signature products since the founding of the organization. Work on Voting Rights and Redistricting issues (and related promotional work on the decennial Census) has been conducted with every Census cycle.
During even numbered years, the Joint Center produces reports on demographics and election statistics used by Get Out the Vote (GOTV) organizations and provides post-election reports examining the black vote. In addition to tracking African Americans’ engagement in electoral politics, the Joint Center also researches their involvement in party politics. In every presidential election year since 1972, the Joint Center has compiled information on black participation in major party conventions.
Since 1984, the Joint Center has conducted over 20 National Opinion Polls. The primary focus of a majority of the surveys has been the political attitudes of African Americans and members of the general population. Other polls the Joint Center has conducted have examined issues including: black philanthropy, attitudes toward other countries, the black family, welfare reform and devolution, health policy, regulatory reform and the declining propensity to serve in the military, among others.
The Joint Center also has helped to create several of the organizations that now represent Black Elected Officials at various levels of government. The Joint Center has promoted Black political participation by providing Black elected officials with information and analysis both on issues and on ways to improve skills and knowledge needed to perform most effectively. Furthermore, the Joint Center has convened the National Policy Alliance, an alliance of the nine major groups in the United States representing Black public officials at all levels of government.
For the the 2004 Election Campaign , the Joint Center provided background information to policy influentials on important policy issues, compared the specific views of the two major Presidential candidates on health policy issues, and surveyed both major candidates on their proposed policies to address a range of issues of concern to the African American community and other communities of color.
In the November, 2006 elections, black voters played a critical role in the outcome of many of the most closely-contest races, especially those for the United States Senate. Joint Center voting rights and political expert Dr. David Bositis has analyzed the behavior and significance of African American voters in the 2006 midterm elections, as well as the changing number and profile of black candidates for federal and statewide offices and their performances at the polls.
NABCO urges all County Officials to know what your State and County have done to implement major election reform under Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). This is America's 21st Century opportunity to strengthen Democracy at home and help remove barriers to voting that have suppressed turnout among African and Asian Americans and Hispanics/Latinos. Make certain this landmark legislation is working for America. America Votes
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies 2007 National Survey of Likely Black Presidential Primary Voters - Nov. 2007
The 2007 Joint Center National Survey of Likely Black Presidential Primary Voters is a national survey of 750 black likely primary/caucus voters, conducted between Oct. 5 and Nov. 2, 2007. Respondents were asked their views on important national problems, issues in the campaign, and candidates for both the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations. The survey methodology is described in an accompanying appendix. The Joint Center conducted the survey with the support of the AARP and wishes to thank them for that support.Read more
2004 Voter Guides: Data prepared for the Democratic National Convention and for the Republican National Convention. [Read More]
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