Racially Conditioned Partisans: Exploring How Racial Attitudes Influence Presidential Approval, Issue Competencies, and Vote Choice

Even in the age of polarization existent today, there are still some partisans that are willing to acknowledge that the out-party "owns" a subset of issues. But what role does race play in shaping these perceptions? This study posits that racially-conditioned issue ownership is at play where racial attitudes permeate one's perceptions of which parties can best handle issues where Whites often credit Republicans on racialized issues while non-Whites often credit Democrats. This study finds that racial attitudes among racially-conditioned partisans influence perceptions of party's owned issues and shape attitudes toward presidents and vote choice as a result.