Abstract

This study examines how hyperpolarization has shaped racial perceptions among Black and Latino voters and how these perceptions influence political engagement, specifically voter turnout and partisan identification. Drawing on existing scholarship on affective polarization, racialized political behavior, and minority political participation, this study analyzes data from the American National Election Studies (ANES) for the 2008 and 2004 presidential elections. Two logistic regression models are estimated for each election year to examine the relationship between affective polarization, racial attitudes and political behavior while controlling for demographic factors like race, gender, age, education, income and region. This study tests twocentral hypotheses: hypothesis 1 suggests that increasing political polarization will lead to greater voter engagement among Black and Latino voters, while hypothesis 2 suggests that hyperpolarization will increase the likelihood that Black and Latino voters identify with the Democratic Party.

The results show that affective polarization has a limited and inconsistent relationship with voter turnout across the two election cycles. On the other hand, polarization is strongly associated with partisan identification. Black and Hispanic respondents show significantly higher odds of identifying with the Democratic Party compared to white respondents, supporting the hypothesis that increasing polarization strengthens minority alignment with the Democratic Party. The findings also show that racial attitudes remain connected to political engagement specifically in highly polarized political environments. Overall, the study suggests that hyperpolarization shapes minority political behavior more strongly through partisan identity than through direct increases in voter turnout.

Advisor

Vallejo, Erika

Department

Political Science

Disciplines

American Politics

Keywords

hyper polarization, affective polarization, Racial attitudes, Black and Latino voters, Political participation, Party identification

Publication Date

2026

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2026 Laura Sfeir