The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (Joint Center) has long been a leading authority on trends related to the opinions and voting preferences of the nation’s black electorate.  Two years ago, when the Joint Center launched its Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change, we undertook a major poll of African Americans’ opinions on the issue of climate change, in which we found that more than half of black voters believe it to be a serious problem that the nation must address.  Last year, our second comprehensive survey of African Americans on  climate change issues produced further evidence that a strong majority of African American voters want government action on climate change, and revealed additional details about what they are willing to do as individuals to help mitigate the problem.

In this report, we present the findings of surveys we conducted in four key states—Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri and South Carolina—with a focus on determining how African American views on climate change and other issues might affect the outcomes of the mid-term national elections this November.  While it is always difficult to predict election outcomes, the information from these surveys will no doubt contribute to the body of knowledge that political and policy analysts will use to understand how the climate change issue is viewed by a key electoral constituency, particularly at a time of tremendous economic upheaval in the nation. 
 

The 2008 presidential campaign represts a historic occasion for both African Americans and black politics.

The 2008 Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies National Opinion Poll is a national survey of 750 African American adults, conducted between September 16 and October 6, 2008. The survey's questions cover a range of topics including politics of the 2008 election and various issues, including education.

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The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies' 2000 National Opinion Poll, conducted between September 15 and October 9, 2000, is a national survey of 1,608 adults. It covered a broad range of topics, including politics and the 2000 election, education, social security, health care, criminal justice, asset accumulation, race relations, attitudes toward American corporations, and globalization and foreign policy.

The survey has two components: a national general-population sample of 850 adults and a national sample of 850 adult African Americans. There are 92 African American respondents in the general-population sample who are also part of the national sample of African Americans. Thus, in total, there are 1,608 adults (18 years of age or older) included in this study. This first release of the findings from the survey covers politics and the 2000 election.

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