Since the unexpected outcome of the 2016 election, there has been substantial scholarly and public debate about the factors shaping the support for and rise of Trump. Today, we discuss the sociology behind voting behavior and the role of race in politics by interviewing Dr. Ryan Jerome LeCount, an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at Hamline University. We begin the interview by learning more about Dr. LeCount (27:20) and his interest in studying race and politics (30:10). We then turn to his research and discuss the distinction between racism and racial resentment (36:52), the role of social-psychology and personality in the rise of racial resentment over the past 30 years (45:15), and how racial attitudes shape support for or opposition to public policy (52:00). We then have a conversation about the relationship between race, politics, and criminal justice by discussing Dr. LeCount’s research exploring the racial attitudes of Black and White police officers (1:00:00). We close by discussing strategies for tackling potentially controversial conversations in our current political climate (1:10:15), the 2020 Democratic primary (1:17:45), and Dr. LeCount’s upcoming research (1:24:43). 

Other Topics Include: 

00:30 - Catch up with Ty and Daphne 

04:55 - BhD “Oh Lawd” News

25:42 - Introduction of the Topic

49:20 - Social Dominance Orientation and Politics 

1:07:30 - The Police Response to His Research 

1:31:44 - Ty and Daphne Reflect on the Interview 

Resources: 

• Dr. Ryan LeCount - https://www.hamline.edu/faculty-staff/ryan-lecount/