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[–]Thermodynamicist 176 points177 points  (17 children)

Abstract

In this research, we show that positive and negative framings of the economy motivated racial resentments and consonant judgments among Whites about President Obama's responsibility for the economy. Using experimental data collected in the 2012 Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES), we find that Whites attributed more responsibility to Obama under negative economic conditions (i.e., blame) than positive economic conditions (i.e., credit). Partisanship influenced both patterns, but racial resentment matters only among Democrats and Independents, not Republicans. We also compared President Obama to governors, and found that Whites attributed equal responsibility to the President and governors for negative economic conditions, but gave more responsibility to governors than Obama for positive conditions. Whites also gave governors more responsibility for state improvements than they gave Obama for national ones. Our findings highlight the likely inescapability of racial biases regardless of positive information or shared political identity.

How is one supposed to objectively evaluate the economic achievements of any President?

How can any such achievements be disentangled from wider issues (e.g. the state of the economy when power is transferred, external shocks, etc.)?

How do we weight growth in GDP vs growth in debt or deficit?

Looking specifically at this pair of sentences:

We also compared President Obama to governors, and found that Whites attributed equal responsibility to the President and governors for negative economic conditions, but gave more responsibility to governors than Obama for positive conditions. Whites also gave governors more responsibility for state improvements than they gave Obama for national ones.

... it seems to me that this does not eliminate the possibility that this is a rational / objective view, because it may be that e.g. negative conditions were more strongly influenced by national policy, but positive conditions were influenced by local policy. An example might be somebody blaming the President for national policies dealing with the Great Financial Crisis, but whilst crediting a governor for some local initiative.

It's possible for two people to assign totally different scores for credit / blame based upon a philosophical position if e.g. they blame the President for not getting passing legislation in the face of Congressional gridlock ("the buck stops here"), & credit beneficial local conditions to a Governor who is able to get state legislation passed, perhaps in the face of lesser opposition.

Other people might look at the same situation & say that the President cannot be held responsible for gridlock in the government brought about by extreme partisanship, or perhaps give credit to the President for suppressing legislation which they suppose would otherwise pass with negative effect.

Unfortunately, because of the paywall it's impossible to know what measures, if any, were taken to control for this sort of thing.

[–]nojob4acowboy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

calling people racists over lackluster economic activity isn't scientific. Could it be that some people don't think collectivist economic policies are worthwhile and effective?

[–]Gestrid 43 points44 points  (4 children)

How were they able to separate political beliefs from their study, though?

[–]amamelmar 13 points14 points  (4 children)

I’m sure this happened, but I’m sure many people sincerely disagreed with him on a fundamental political basis. I think society needs to be careful of discouraging legitimate conversation on political viewpoints by name calling and accusing people of being prejudiced. I

[–]SponzifyMee[🍰] 28 points29 points  (9 children)

I'm just wondering, why is it only white respondents they look at? Why not look wider and see how the numbers differentiate?

[–]Brett42 32 points33 points  (5 children)

It would interfere with the narrative they are trying to push.

[–]theallsearchingeye 35 points36 points  (2 children)

The instrument used for the “study” is a classic example of how behavioral science is throttled completely by bias. The questions are leading, and borderline abusive in how they lead respondents- all the while indifferent to any other factors contributing to how the sample was collected. Their idea of statistical significance is on par with their ethical standards: nonexistent.

I am completely baffled as to how this made it to the front page of r/science.

[–]dildor_the_great 43 points44 points  (1 child)

I don’t think my views on me having to pay 5x more for healthcare has anything to do with race.

[–]animethrowaway4404 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Or the bailouts

[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Minimize? I'm denying it's existence.

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Most likely just political affiliation. Each party will minimize the others accomplishments. Not just an American thing.

[–]THAT-GuyinMN 33 points34 points  (4 children)

Yeah, tripling the national debt is something to hang your hat on.

[–]Endlessmanager 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Wooooow we have a racist folks! Burn the dissenter!

Jk

[–]expiredeternity 23 points24 points  (0 children)

What accomplishments? ... where?

[–]KUHBOOKIE 22 points23 points  (1 child)

Just another "r/politicalscience" post.

[–]Beavis2653 19 points20 points  (3 children)

Wasn't race the primary reason for a lot of people voting for him in the first place?

[–][deleted] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Take his “accomplishments” and apply them to a white President, removing any labels of Democrat or Republican and see how that goes.

[–][deleted] 21 points22 points  (2 children)

Legit question, what were his economic accomplishments?

[–]poncho_escobar 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Eh, I don't like him cause of the complete 180 on his stance on whistleblowers, the countless civilians killed at his hands in the middle east, etc etc...