Economics of Hate
A H A T E C R I M E S T A T I S T I C S P R O J E C T
S T A T E S M O S T E F F E C T E D
NAFTA-Related Job Losses
Q U E S T I O N
Research Concept
What is the relationship between white job losses in the goods-producing sector of the economy and hate crime rates in the U.S.?
O V E R V I E W
Literature
Impacts of Globalization on Racist Ideology
Based on the works of Vance (2016) and Metz (2020), the resurgence of "white resentment" politics largely stemmed from the job losses associated with the signing of the North American Trade Agreement. Once the impacts of NAFTA and globalization, in general, began to take hold, the sectors of the economy that the NAICS identifies as goods-producing industries began to pull out of "company towns.” These were towns that depended on a single company to function as the city's primary employer.
While racist ideology is deeply rooted in the country's origins, the impact of globalization further drove white Americans' populist, nationalist, and anti-immigrant attitudes.
Gaps in the Literature
The book, Dying of Whiteness, researches the phenomenon of poor white Americans' supporting policies that are counter to their own best interests such as gun control laws, to healthcare, to public school finance. Metzl's work discusses white Americans' economic losses and deaths of despair from his own non-scientific perspective.
Both works limit their scope to how changes in the world impacted white Americans but fail to look at how white Americans' reactions to the changing economy affect others.
In this research, I analyze how economic changes influence the racist attitudes/behaviors of white Americans negatively impact other communities. My hypothesis is that an increase in state-wide white job losses in goods-producing industries lead to an increase in hate crime rates. Presumably, white Americans’ rate of committing hate crimes is to lash out at their perceived competitors in the labor market.
»
white American blue collar job losses
perception that outsiders are taking jobs
»
leads to an increase in hate crime rates
Hypothesis
Anti-immigrant ideology associated with white job losses in goods-producing industries increases hate crime victimization.
R E S E A R C H
Data & Methods
Data Set
Panel Data
State level data from 2010-2018
431 observations
Compiled from
Census American Community Survey (1 year estimate)
collected annuallyBEA Quarterly Workforce Indicators
collected quarterly and average annuallyCensus American Public School Finance Surve
collected annuallyGuttmacher Institute Title X Spending Report
published 2018Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Reports
collected annually
3 Models
OLS
Fixed Effects
Random Effects
Dependent Variable
Hate Crime Rates
Independent Variable
White Job Losses in Goods-Producing Industries Per Capita
Control variables
Violent crime rates
Property crimes rates
Title X spending per capita
School funding per capita
Democratic Vote per capita
R E S E A R C H
Empirical Model
HCit= 𝛽1JLit +
𝛽2VCit + 𝛽3PCit +
𝛽4TXit + 𝛽5UNit+
𝛽6SFit + 𝛽7DVit
Where ...
HC is the hate crime rate of state i at time t,
JL is the number of white jobs lost per capita of state i at time t,
VC is the violent crime rate of state i at time t,
PC is the property crime rate of state i at time t,
TX is Title X public spending per capita of state i at time t,
UN is the unemployment rate of state i at time t,
SF is school funding dollars per capita of state i at time t,
and DV is democratic votes in 2008, 2012, and 2016 elections per capita i at time t.
R E S U L T S
Findings & Interpretation
Based on the results of the post-estimation tests, the most appropriate model to use is the random effects model.
The model found that for each unit increase in white job losses in goods-producing sectors, the hate crimes rate will also increase by 0.00245. The result is statistically significant.
What did we know before your research?
The growing trend of "white resentment" amongst white working-class laborers as the economy becomes more globalized. White resentment is associated with acts of hate. However, studies have failed to evaluate the impact of white resentment on other communities.
Theory about "white resentment" politics - that poor white Americans perceive that "outsiders" are a direct threat to their well-being and survival.
What do we know after your research?
White American job losses in goods-producing industries are associated with increased hate crime activity.
Policy Implications
Reassess trade agreements and find ways to support
American manufacturing, agriculture, construction, and mining/oil extraction.
Reinforce and provide oversight for police departments' reporting of hate crime statistics.
What did your results tell us?
There is an economic driver behind white resentment and anti-immigrant, racist attitudes which can be expressed through hate crimes. This finding further supports Metzl's Where your research will go next?
Geographically granular research
Granular assessment of criminal reports
Go further back in time to assess changes in hate crime incidence before and after NAFTA
References
"About the Goods-Producing Industries Supersector Group." Industries at a Glance: Goods-Producing Industries. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020. https://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/lagob.ntm
Jonathan Metz. Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland New York NY BasIc BOoks 2020
Hasstedt K, Sonfield A and Gold RB, Public Funding for Family Planning and Abortion Services, FY 1980-2015, New York: Guttmacher Institute, 2017, https://www.guttmacher.org/report/public-funding-family-planning-abortion-services-fy-1980-2015.
Social Explorer Tables (SE), Quarterly Workforce Indicators 2010-2018, U.S. Census Bureau
U.S. Census Bureau; 2010-2018 ACS 1-year Data Releases: Technical Documentation
U.S. Census Bureau; 2010-2018 ACS 1-year Data Releases : Technical Documentation
U.S. Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation; Uniform Crime Report - Crime in the United States, 2010-2018.
US House of Representatives. "Election Statistics, 1920 to Present." Election Results Statistics
2010-2018, 2018. https://history.house.gov/Institution/Election-Statistics/Election-Statistics/
9. Vance, J. D. Hillbilly Elegy. New York, NY: HarperCollins Books, 2016.