Republican Opinions on Systemic Racism

#perspective

The partisan divide in these opinions is even wider: Just 25% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say greater attention to the history of slavery and racism is a good thing; far more (46%) view it negatively, while 29% see it as neither good nor bad.

Republicans overwhelmingly think only a little (47%) or nothing (30%) needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. Just 22% say a lot more needs to be done, with only 7% saying that most major institutions need to be rebuilt because they are fundamentally biased.

About seven-in-ten Republicans (71%) say the U.S. has made a lot of progress over the last 50 years in ensuring equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds.

Just 6% of Republicans now say White people benefit from advantages that Black people do not have. Nearly three-quarters of Republicans (73%) say White people get little benefit (39%) or no benefit at all (34%) from advantages that Black people do not have.

Republicans and Republican leaners (71%) are far more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners (29%) to say the country has made a lot of progress toward racial equality over the last 50 years.

About half of Republicans (47%) say a little more needs to be done to ensure racial equality and 30% say nothing more at all needs to be done.

The opinion that a lot more needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all Americans is held by 39% of Republicans who say little progress has been made in the last five decades and an even smaller share (15%) of Republicans who say a lot of progress has been made.

Only about two-in-ten Republicans (22%) say there is a lot more that needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all racial and ethnic groups, with 14% saying that necessary changes can be made from within the system and just 7% saying that institutions need to be rebuilt in order to ensure equality for all Americans.

Hispanic Republicans are about twice as likely as White Republicans to say the increased public attention to historical racial issues is good for society (42% vs. 21%).

And while 42% of Republicans under age 30 say the increased attention to America’s racial history is good for society, only about quarter of older Republicans say the same. About half of Republicans ages 50 and older (52%) say this increased interest is bad for society, with 24% saying it is very bad for society.

Nearly three-quarters of Republicans (73%) say that White people do not benefit much or at all from advantages in society that Black people do not have, while 26% say that White people benefit at least a fair amount from advantages. However, among Republicans, views on whether these advantages exist differ by ethnicity.

While a large majority of White Republicans (78%) say that White people do not benefit much or at all from advantages Black people do not have, views among Hispanic Republicans are more divided: 46% say White people benefit at least a fair amount, while 53% say that White people do not benefit much or at all from advantages Black people do not have. source

Read also: New Public Agenda Report, Shifting Views on Racial Discrimination, Republican Views on Racial Inequality, Reception of Education and Policies Addressing Racism,