Using the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS), I examine the extent to which Black individuals in the United States are less likely to support progressive LGBTQ policies? Specifically, I examine under what conditions news media outlets influence Black public opinion regarding public policies related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. George Gerbner (1969) cultivation theory posits that long-term exposure to media increases the probability of viewing reality as being closer to television’s depiction. McCombs and Shaw (1972) posit a theory agenda setting, which argues that media can influence public agenda by elevating one issue above others, thus serving as a point of reference to understand how the television industry functions. First, I hypothesize that Black people who watch cable news at high levels are less inclined to support progressive policies on LGBTQ rights, than Black people who utilize other news media sources. Second, I hypothesize that Black people who more often consume news from various conservative media outlets are less inclined to support progressive policies on LGBTQ rights, than Black people who get their news from other media outlets. This study can help us better understand the role of media and how it shapes Black public opinion towards LGBTQ rights.

While Black women continue to grapple with the historical legacies of racial and gender discrimination, they persistently outperform their male counterparts, as well as women of other racial/ethnic groups in their rates of political participation, such as voter turnout. Using the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS), this research will examine to what extent socio-demographics (SES) (such as educational attainment and income) as well as political ideology explain high rates of political participation among Black women, relative to their white female counterpart? I expect to find that Black women with higher levels of SES will be more participatory, than white women of the same SES. In terms of ideology, liberal-identifying Black women will hold higher levels of political participation than liberal-identified white women. This study will help us to better understand Black women's political participation and what factors influence their propensity to engage in activism.

Leading up to the 2020 presidential election, we saw mass uprisings amongst Black Americans to protest avid racism, and police brutality which has increasingly targeted Black American individuals. Using the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS), I will examine the extent to which “linked fate” among Black people influences attitudes toward trust in the police, during the 2020 Presidential election? Dawson (1994) developed the concept of linked fate or the perception that an individual’s fate is tied to those of their racial in-group. I seek to address how perceptions of linked fate impact attitudes on trust in the police, among Black respondents. I hypothesize that Black individuals with higher levels of linked fate are more likely to disagree that the police are trustworthy, in comparison to their counterparts with lower levels of linked fate. This research can help us to better understand the influence of Black intra-racial group ties on views toward trust in state institutions, such as the police.

Housing affordability remains a major obstacle for millions of Americans who wish to become homeowners. The costs of homes and rental units have skyrocketed, leaving homeownership out of reach of many in the middle and lower class. Despite the desperate need for affordable homes, some residents oppose the construction of new homes in their neighborhoods and policies that benefit low-income renters. Some residents may argue that these kinds of policies lower property values, attract crime, and destroy the character of their community. While empirical research suggests that racial and class stereotyping play a role in opposition towards these kinds of policies, little research has been conducted examining the role socio-demographics have on attitudes towards housing initiatives (Tighe 2012). Using the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS), my research uses race and socioeconomic status to examine the extent to which different groups of people will demonstrate support for some policies. I hypothesize that racial minorities will be more supportive towards low-income housing policies than white Americans. I expect that stronger support for low-income housing policies can be attributed to higher levels of in-group solidarity among black respondents compared to other racial groups.