Faces of Inequality: Social Diversity in American Politics [Paperback]

Rodney E. Hero (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 2000

"This is a provocative and important book that provides a new prism through which to view both state politics and public policy in America."--Paula D. McClain, University of Virginia.

"This is a most exciting new book on state politics. . . . It offers fresh perspectives on standard treatments of state politics and is extraordinary well-researched. It is both a comprehensive survey of the field of American state politics and a fresh theoretical primer for understanding state policy dynamics."--Robert B. Albritton, Northern Illinois University.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Rodney Hero confronts directly the weaknesses of Elazar's political culture thesis as the explanation for state-level political behavior and public policy decisions. Building on V. O. Key's belief that race is at the center of Southern politics, Hero expands on Key to argue that race is at the center of state politics in general. This is a provocative and important book that provides a new prism through which to view both state politics and public policy in America."--Paula D. McClain, University of Virginia

"Faces of Inequality is a tour de force. Hero's monumental theoretical contribution will force analysts of state-level politics and policies to rethink their simple regression models and include the key contextual variable for ethnic and racial diversity. We always had a suspicion that race and ethnicity mattered in American politics, but now we know the relationship is not always direct or one-to-one. Many 'faces' of inequality and racism persist in America regardless of the size of minority groups, thus casting serious doubt on the 'racial hypothesis' that so long dominated this literature. Just as Thomas Dye once pioneered the study of state-level politics and policy using socio-economic predictors, now Rodney Hero has inaugurated a new paradigm for scholars of the twenty-first century. This book will be essential reading for all serious students of state politics, comparative public policy, and issues of race and ethnicity."--Raymond Tatalovich, Loyola University, Chicago

"Academics are finally relearning what politicians (and V. O. Key) have known all along--that the racial and ethnic composition of a state is crucial for determining the political structure and policy outcomes within that state. Rodney Hero has taken that insight well beyond the politicians' calculations to produce a striking account of how race matters. Faces of Inequality demonstrates the importance of making racial and ethnic identity a defining lens through which to look at politics, not just one item on a list of variables."--Jennifer Hochschild, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University

"This is the most exciting new book on state politics. It should be a prize-winner! The book is a necessary supplement for all state politics courses. It offers fresh perspectives on standard treatments of state politics and is extraordinarily well-researched. It is both a comprehensive survey of the field of American state politics and a fresh theoretical primer for understanding state policy dynamics."--Robert B. Albritton, Northern Illinois University

"Rodney Hero confronts directly the weaknesses of Elazar's political culture thesis as the explanation for state-level political behavior and public policy decisions. Building on V. O. Key's belief that race is at the center of Southern politics, Hero expands on Key to argue that race is at the center of state politics in general. This is a provocative and important book that provides a new prism through which to view both state politics and public policy in America."--Paula D. McClain, University of Virginia

About the Author

Rodney E. Hero is Professor of Political Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is also the author of Latinos and the U.S. Political System (1992), which won the American Political Science Association's Ralph Bunche Award for 1993.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (February 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195137884
• ISBN-13: 978-0195137880
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must for a Student of State Politics, July 3, 2007

By 

Robynn Kuhlmann "MA, PhD Student Political Sc... (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faces of Inequality: Social Diversity in American Politics (Paperback)

States are more directly involved in policy making than national government. Further, states hold a major portion of power over laws concerning the "health, safety, morals, and well-being" of its citizenry (4). Subsequently, the analysis of state politics is based on the devolution of this power and focuses on political outcomes such as policy formation. In Faces of Inequality, Rodney Hero argues that race and ethnicity are centrally linked to the development of state policy, political institutions, party organizations, and interest group conflict. Hero's theory in this book is logically well-formed - because there are differences among states - despite the same overarching institutional framework (4). Race and ethnic groups are major features of U.S history, are not equally distributed across states, and have had very different historical and political experiences.
In order to capture the political outcomes of states, Hero systematically analyzes the relationship of state racial and ethnic make-up to an umbrella of political features using simple state-level regression analysis. This type of analysis makes this book especially appealing to the student of political science. Strength and formation of political parties, interest groups, state policies, and institutions are found to be significantly related to state's race and ethnic composition. Further, Hero finds that these variables give much more explanatory value to political outcomes at the state level. He claims that knowing the social composition while analyzing state-level politics adds a `face' to American politics. Social diversity disaggregates, contextualizes, and serves as a core influence on and explanation of political phenomenon at the state-level.
Hero provides a good review of past theories and studies of state-level political analysis. Preceding this review he develops his central argument - states fall into several patterns according to their race and ethnic diversity (11-15). These patterns are placed into three main categories: homogenous states (states with very small minority populations and few white ethnics); heterogeneous states (states with a large white ethnic population along with a significant amount of minority populations); and bifurcated states (states with large minority populations, primarily black and/or Latino, as well as large white non-ethnic populations). Hero's development of this pattern prepares the reader for a whirlwind of critiques of past studies and theories of state politics. He does a great job in arming the reader and trumping through a hefty load of theories - all the while presenting critical assessments of how his social diversity model could better explain political phenomenon at the state-level.