SUPPORT FOR BIRACIAL POLITICAL COALITIONS AMONG BLACKS AND HISPANICS

Objective. While there have been several examples of successful biraci al political coalitions, these coalitions tend to be unstable. The pur pose of this research is to operationalize an attitudinal measure of s upport for biracial political coalitions among blacks and Hispanics, a nd analyze its predictors. Methods. The research is based on data from a 1991 survey of blacks and Hispanics in Harris County, Texas. Result s. Support for biracial political coalitions among both racial groups was modest at best. However, for both blacks and Hispanics it was thos e with the highest levels of education, political interest and other p olitical resources that were least supportive of biracial coalitions. Conclusions. One reason biracial political coalitions are unstable is that those with the greatest political resources seem, at least as an abstract principle, to be the least enthusiastic.