Bolsonaro and the Black Vote

Racial Voting in Brazil's 2018 Election

Bibliographic Data

ID2959170
AuthorsDavid De Micheli (0000-0002-9437-2889, University of Utah, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume65
Issue4
Pages1-25
Publication date2023-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLatin American Politics and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1531-426X • E-ISSN: 1548-2456
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/lap.2023.8
OpenAlexW4379385006
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited46

Two competing narratives characterize the role of race in Brazil's 2018 election. Journalists observe that Jair Bolsonaro "entranced" nonwhite voters while "insulting them." Scholars argue that Bolsonaro politicized race, costing him nonwhite support. In contrast, this article argues that racialized patterns of voter behavior were not distinct from those in recent general elections, and that voters' electoral choices varied within as well as between racial categories. This study incorporates recent findings on racial subjectivity in Brazil, which emphasize the interaction of racial identification and educational status in shaping racial consciousness. Survey data show that racial differences are driven by highly educated black voters, who are least likely to support Bolsonaro compared to educated white voters and more likely to support leftist candidates. By incorporating findings on racial subjectivity into theoretical predictions and leveraging the 2018 election, this study identifies conditions in which racial identification operates to shape electoral behavior

Demographic economics · Economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Presidential election · Racism · Sociology · Subjectivity · Voting · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Gender Studies · Law · Politics and Society in Latin America · Populism, Right-Wing Movements