Many of the most enduring social divisions, political conflicts, and policy debates in the United States revolve around the issue of race, and to a lesser extent ethnicity. This course will examine the role of race in American politics and its contemporary significance. It will focus on the experiences and activities of different groups in America through an examination of social policies. The course will examine social policies related to voting rights, housing laws, welfare reform, poverty, immigration, and criminal justice policies using a framework that includes race/ethnicity. It will also examine the 2022 midterm election as it relates to a number of social and political issues discussed in class (including FL, MI, OH, WI, CO, AR Senate races and the potential of a divided government). Readings will include a mix of theoretical, historical, and contemporary sources so that students can make connections between past and present and between policies and practices. Students will participate in and lead class discussions, and assignments will include a midterm project and final term paper.
About Yalidy Matos
Yalidy Matos is Assistant Professor of Political Science and Latino and Caribbean Studies at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. She earned her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and her B.A. degree from Connecticut College in New London, CT. Originally from Dominican Republic, Yalidy is a 1.5 generation immigrant and first-generation scholar. Matos’ scholarly work examines the intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender and public opinion and political behavior. By drawing on theoretical frameworks from various disciplines, she uses a mixed methods approach to understand the racialized nature of U.S. immigration policies as well as other politically consequential public and social policies. Professor Matos examines the political behavior of different racial and ethnic groups in relation to identity politics.
Matos’ work can be found in the American Behavioral Scientist, American Politics Research, LABOR: Studies in Working-Class History, Perspectives on Politics, Politics, Groups, and Identities, and Political Research Quarterly. Matos is also the recipient of a Career Enhancement Fellowship (2020) for Junior Faculty from the Institute for Citizens & Scholars (formerly the Woodrow Wilson Foundation). Matos is currently an Early Career Faculty Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice (ISGRJ) at Rutgers University and a CUNY Dominican Studies Institute 2021 Fellow.