The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, with the assistance of outside experts, analyzed the presidential candidates' major plans and assessed the economic plans proposed by Vice President Al Gore and Governor George W. Bush for using the projected federal government surplus over the next ten years. Because the two proposals are likely to have disproportionate impact on the economic well-being of African Americans, a special emphasis was placed on the expected impact the two plans may have on African Americans.

Six analyses were prepared as background for the overview summary report, covering each candidate' s tax plans and Social Security, health care, education, and employment proposals. The overview summary, along with the six papers and the 2000 National Opinion Poll results on politics can be viewed here.

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Date Published: 2000
 

Early in 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that obesity was rapidly moving to the top of the list of major causes of premature or preventable deaths. This fact is highlighted by statistics in this issue brief indicating that nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults can be classified as obese or overweight. People who are overweight or obese are at risk for any number of chronic conditions, including diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and hypertension. As is the case for many other adverse health conditions, African Americans and Latinos are much more likely than other Americans to be overweight or obese. There are steps that people can take, through weight loss and improved fitness, to reduce their chronic-disease risk. But the conditions in many low-income communities create barriers for residents who want to “do the right thing.” Streets may not be safe to walk or bike, and recreational facilities may be few and far between, making it difficult for residents to get the regular physical activity recommended by their health care providers. A paucity of grocery stores with healthy food options also prevents many families from pursuing low-fat or low-sodium diets. In addition, school cafeterias and vending machines, lacking nutritious food choices, can make it difficult for young people to avoid consuming excessive nutritionally empty calories. While individuals acting alone may not be able to overcome these barriers, as this brief explains, a community can take collective action to lower them. A collaboration between the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and PolicyLink, this brief is one of four that outline strategies for achieving better health through community-focused solutions.

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The AARP and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies conducted a survey in South Carolina among 700 African-American likely voters in April of 2007. The purpose of the survey was to understand the concerns African-Americans in South Carolina want to see addressed by candidates for the respective Democratic and Republican political party nominations.

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Date Published: April 2007
 

Over the past five years, racial and ethnic disparities in health care and health status have been highlighted in a series of governmental and non-governmental reports. The nature and extent of the problem should be obvious to all who are paying attention. However, less is known or shared about solutions that can be adopted in local communities, especially where the problems are most severe. The importance of community cannot be overstated. It is the community environment that determines the toxins people are exposed to, their opportunities for exercise, healthy eating and living, and the health care services they can access. Moreover, people of color are exposed to an additional stress in the form of racism, which can have a harmful long-term impact on their health. In short, the overall vitality of a community — the economic opportunities available, the social support networks, and the public infrastructure — plays a major role in families’ ability to improve their health and wellbeing. This brief offers a framework for strengthening communities to improve the health and well-being of residents. A collaboration between the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and PolicyLink, this brief is one of four that outline strategies for achieving better health through community-focused solutions.

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This is a report on a national survey of black elected officials which was conducted as part of the Joint Center's Divergent Generations Project. The Divergent Generations Project seeks to document differences in political participation and public policy views associated with generational change in the black population. While previous research for this project has focused on the black population as a whole, this study examines whether the generational change evident among the black public can also be seen among the population of black elected officials.

Since 1996, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies' National Opinion Polls have tracked differences in the political attitudes and public policy preferences between different generations of African Americans. Some of these differences have been quite substantial. They are reflected for example, in partisan identification, with older African Americans continuing to identify most closely with the Democratic party while a significant percentage of younger black adults about one-third are declaring themselves political independents.

Among other significant generational differences identified in these Joint Center surveys: younger adults, i.e., those born after the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, more strongly support school vouchers, are less positive toward the federal government and more in favor of devolution, are more supportive of the partial privatization of Social Security, are more pro-business, and hold more negative views toward voting than older African Americans, i.e., those born before 1950. While these and other issues show significant and growing differences, there are still many areas where blacks of all ages find considerable agreement, especially in contrast with the differences between black and white public opinion.

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Date Published: 2001

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During the past twenty-five years, a series of public policies have had a negative impact upon young men from communities of color.

During the past twenty-five years, a significant amount of attention has been devoted to the issues of teen sexual activity and pregnancy, especially in communities of color.