John D. Griffin and Brian Newman
Published: 2019,聽Presidential Studies Quarterly聽49(2): 310-329.
Abstract:
Presidents face incentives to move toward the median voter as elections approach. We explore the racial consequences of these electoral incentives. As presidents move toward the center, they move away from ideologically noncentrist groups like the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). Comparing the president鈥檚 annual budget proposal to the CBC鈥檚 alternative budget from 1980 to 2012, we test whether Democrats鈥� (Republicans鈥�) budgets are less (more) congruent with the CBC鈥檚 alternative budgets in election years. Typically, Democrats鈥� budgets are much more congruent than Republicans鈥� with the CBC鈥檚 budgets. However, in election years, Democrats鈥� budget proposals tend to move away from the CBC鈥檚 ideal such that Democrats鈥� budgets are no better aligned with the CBC than are Republicans鈥� budgets.
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