Identity Politics in the United States

In 2017, a white supremacist rally at the University of Virginia forced many to consider how much progress had been made in a country that, nine years prior, had elected its first Black president. Beyond these racial flashpoints, the increasingly polarized nature of US politics has reignited debates around the meaning of identity, citizenship, and acceptance in America today.  In this pioneering book, Khalilah L. Brown-Dean moves beyond the headlines to examine how contemporary controversies emanate from longstanding struggles over power, access, and belonging. Using intersectionality as an organizing framework, she draws on current tensions such as voter suppression, the Me Too movement, the Standing Rock protests, marriage equality, military service, the rise of the Religious Right, protests by professional athletes, and battles over immigration to show how conflicts over group identity are an inescapable feature of American political development. Brown-Dean explores issues of citizenship, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, and religion to argue that democracy in the United States is built upon the battle of ideas related to how we see ourselves, how we see others, and the mechanisms available to reinforce those distinctions.   Identity Politics in the United States will be an essential resource for students and engaged citizens who want to understand the link between historical context, contemporary political challenges, and paths to move toward a stronger democracy.

List of Tables, Figures and Illustrations Acknowledgements Chapter 1:      The Personal is Political                        Chapter 2:      Identity Politics and the Boundaries of                                     Belonging    Chapter 3:      The Substance of U.S. Citizenship                     Chapter 4:      Racial Identity, Citizenship, and Voting              Chapter 5:      Ethnic Identity: Demography and                                     Destiny           Chapter 6:      Gender, Sexual Identity, and the                                     Challenge of Inclusion  Chapter 7:      Religious Identity and Political Presence                     Chapter 8:      Identity and Political Movements Chapter 9:      The Inescapability of Identity Politics               Glossary                                   Works Cited                                     Notes