African American Perspectives on Political Science

"Professor Rich has brought together a group of talented scholars to address a critical issue in the world of American scholarship. This volume moves in the direction of Hanes Walton's Invisible Politics, exposing the hidden racial dimensions of politics in the United States. As Rich points out, American political scientists have systematically and almost universally refused to incorporate issues of race into their studies of political phenomena. This volume will have a critical impact on the rolling back of obstacles to the penetrating analysis of race as a factor in American political mobilization and public policy- making." William Nelson, Ohio State University "Individual essays...offer incisive critiques on the limits of the dominant methodologies and available data in answering questions regarding race and American politics. The sections of the book exploring the impact of race on research in international relations and globalization are very strong and provide much needed nuance to the broad policy debates in these areas. Editor Rich contributes an illuminating essay on the problems facing African Americans within the discipline. This is a worthy contribution to the literature on the study of African American politics, the discipline of political science and more broadly the study of politics in America. CHOICE August 2007 "The authors here offer reliable arguments." The American Review of Politics

• Section 1: Race and Political ScientistsErnest J. Wilson and Lorrie Frasure "Still at the Margins: The Persistence of Neglect of African American Issues in Political Science, 1985-2003"; Hanes Walton and Robert Smith, "The Race Variable and the American Political Science Association's State of Discipline" Reports and Books 1907-2002; Wilbur Rich, "Black Political Scientist in Academic Wonderland"Section 2: Globalization and the Study of Development"Ollie Johnson, "Black Politics in Latin America"; Vernon Johnson ,"Globalization and the Study of Development"Section 3: Civic Engagement and VotingAndrea Simpson, "Going It Alone: Black Women Activists and Black Organizational Quiescence"; Martin Kilson, "Political Scientists and the Study of African American Public Opinion"; Melissa Harris-Lacewell, "Political Science and the Study of African American Public Opinion"Section 4: InstitutionsKenny Whitby, "Racial Representation in Congress"; Barbara Luck Graham, "Challenging the Dominant Civil Rights Paradigm: The Curious Absence of Critical Race Theory in Political Science Scholarship"; Wilbur Rich, "Presidential Leadership and the Politics of Race: Stereotypes, Symbols and Scholarship"Section 5: The Sub FieldsComparative Politics- Germaine Hoston, "Comparative Politics and Asia: Contesting Hegemonic Inter- and Intra-Disciplinary Boundaries"; Public Administration- Lenneal Henderson "Race and the Problem of Equity in the Administrative State"; Marion Orr and Valerie Johnson "Race and the City: The View from Two Political Science Journals"; International Relations- Errol A. Henderson, "Hidden in Plain Sight: Racism in World Politics"; American Government- Katherine Tate, Kevin Lyles and Lucius Barker "A Critical Review of American Political Institutions"; Political Theory- Jerry Watts, "Political Science Confronts Afro-America: A Reconsideration"