The 2008 Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Education Survey is a national survey of 750 African American households, conducted between September 16 and October 6, 2008.

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.

This background paper focuses on the barriers that are limiting the educational and life paths of boys and young men of color. Specifically, the paper creates an action agenda centered on nine topics within education policy: high-stakes testing, school finance, literacy, recruitment of representative teachers, teacher preparation, school choice, single-sex classrooms/schools, structure of school day/year, and zero-tolerance policies.

This paper evaluates the impact of the prison-industrial complex on males from communities of color. In particular, it asks the following questions: What is the impact of the large increases in the proportion of state and local public funds dedicated to corrections? To what extent has the private corrections industry influenced and driven national, state, and local policy regarding criminal justice policy and programs?

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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