"The soul of our politics is the commitment to ending domination"
-bell hooks
The United States was born out of a desire to end what the founders saw as a tyrannical monarchy. Political Science is the study of systems of government, covering both the functions of government and theoretical approaches that guide those functions. Within the United States, The field is typically broken up into political theory, American politics, comparative politics, and international relations. Structural Racism is ingrained in the field by both the “founding scholars” of political science and the actions that the field is used to excuse.
Throughout the history of political science as a field, the role of race was not studied, in the way that it has been in other social sciences. However, Roger Smith, Professor of Political Science, argues that racism has been entrenched in the field since its beginnings.The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith is known as the “bible of capitalism,” and has been referenced by politicians and political scientists when forming policy and framing research throughout our nation’s history (Smith, 1997). Adam Smith writes about the necessary political and economic structure of nations to succeed. His ideal nations, or the wealthy nations of Europe, were described as “civilized” with people who are “industrious”, leading to the success of the country. On the other hand, Smith describes “savage” nations with people who are “miserable poor”, alluding to nations outside of Europe (Cannan (Ed.), 2019).Along with capitalism, our nation’s liberal values also stem from the teachings of John Locke. John Locke, known as the father of liberalism, wrote in the “Second Treatise of Government”about the role of government and the influence it should have on the people. He famously writes that it is the government's role to protect the natural rights of people, also known as life, liberty, and property (Locke,1773). The founding fathers relied on his teachings in drafting the declaration of independence and our constitution, even describing the people’s “unalienable rights” to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” a direct reference to John Locke. However, John Locke was a beneficiary of slavery, owning stock in the Royal African Company, and assisting in drafting Carolina’s constitution, a document that allowed slavery. While his teachings reference slavery, it is clear that he condoned slavery, and when he discussed man’s right to property, Black slaves were considered as such (Brewer, 2018). It is clear that both Adam Smith and John Locke, two of the most regarded figures in political science, were racist, and their racist ideas are ingrained in the field of political science and in American Politics.
The U.S. political machine operates in part through the democratic process of voting. We vote in our elected officials who then work on behalf of the people and we vote for or against policy changes that affect all aspects of human life. The right to vote is seen as sacred,and it is a right that people have fought and died for throughout history. The history of voting in the United States is fraught with gerrymandering, suppression, lack of access, and inequality. More of the population than not were denied the right to vote until fairly recently. Women were not granted the right to vote until 1920. The fifteenth amendment was put in place in 1870 to allow Black men to vote but voter suppression the likes of literacy laws and poll taxes effectively denied them their right to vote. The reality is that it was not until the voting rights act of 1965 that Black Americans were somewhat freely able to vote. Present day, there are still varying ways that voter suppression, especially for people of color, takes place. A push by many Republican policy makers in states like Texas to restrict voting rights via closing polls entirely in certain areas, restricting voting by mail, and poll watchers is actively taking place right now(Ura, 2021). Gerrymandering is frequently employed as a way for a political party to maintain political power,but it flies in the face of what a true democracy actually is. In 2021, false claims of election fraud as a means to overturn a presidential election brought the US to the brink of civil war.
Historically, there have been numerous attempts at power grabs by using the political system to advantage one political agenda over another. In 1787, the 3/5th compromise allowed slave owners to count each of their slaves as 3/5th of a person, in order to increase overall population in slave owning states. The compromise gave disproportionate congressional representation without giving slaves the right to vote. Many liken mass incarceration to modern day slavery, and those incarcerated find their bodies similarly used to create a political advantage. Since the 1790 census, incarcerated people who reside in institutions have been counted to boost the population of the region where the prison is located, regardless of where their actual home is located. Simultaneously, barring a few exceptions, these incarcerated people are not allowed those people the right to vote (Felon Voting Rights, 2021). This continuation of the 3/5th compromise has been called prison gerrymandering.
That little-known practice involves determining the areas elected officials represent with census numbers that count prisoners as residents of where they are incarcerated.With those tallies, some redistricting officials have created local voting districts filled mostly with people who are locked behind bars and, in most states, cannot vote (Lo Wang, 2021).
Currently, only 11 states in the nation are moving to eliminate this practice. The ways in which districts get drawn, people get counted, and the historical legacy of voter suppression has had a lasting impact on who we elect to public office. It raises the question of what our political leaders would look like if every American had always possessed the right and opportunity to vote.
As demonstrated, the field of Political Science has often been used to justify racist policies and actions. Racist policies and actions have harmed Black and Brown people throughout history, but did not receive widespread acknowledgement until recently. In the wake of the highly visible police murders of George Floyd and many other Black and Brown people, a multitude of academic fields have issued statements in support of Black lives and decrying their field's contribution to the perpetuation of structural racism. Political science is no exception. A recent statement by Gettysburg college in part reads,
If politics is the struggle of who gets what, when, and how, we–as political scientists–need to directly address how national, state, and local institutions have perpetuated a system whereby the outcomes of that struggle are neither equal nor just (Department Statement on Structural Racism. 2020).
Gettysburg College has committed to actionable steps that will create a less racist learning environment, focused on specific steps that create more inclusion, speak truth to power and identify past problems in their field that contribute to structural racism in the society at large via political action. A complete list of their action steps can be found in their Departmental Statement on Structural Racism-Political Science.
In and of itself, silence is a political act, and for those in the field of political science, their silence regarding the legacy of structural racism in the field speaks volumes. Students need to be empowered with the knowledge of how the political apparatus works as well as how it has been used for both good and evil. For educators, making space in their curriculum to address structural racism is part of effectively teaching Political Science. As a white supremacist nation built on the backs of non-white people, this aspect of the culture is important for a true understanding of our political system. Failing to do so would betray the very purpose the study of Political Science is intended to serve (Department Statement on Structural Racism. 2020).
