Dukhong Kim

Trusting What You Know: Information, Knowledge, and Confidence in Social Security

Can public trust in government be increased by expanding knowledge of the activities government already performs? This study takes advantage of a naturally occurring experiment—the distribution of personal statements by the Social Security Administration— to examine the impact of increased domain-specific information on the public’s knowledge and confidence. Analysis of a large Gallup survey of attitudes toward Social Security finds that recipients of personal Social Security Statements gained more knowledge of, and confidence in, Social Security than nonrecipients after controlling for individual differences. These results suggest that citizens’ evaluations of government institutions echo, in part, the quality and quantity of information distributed to them. The implication for future research on political trust and confidence is to confirm the importance of expanding analysis from global to specific objects of evaluation.

The Experiences and Effects of Economic Status Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities

We propose and test a theory of opportunities that explains the conditions in which economic status affects support for racial and ethnic group interests among African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. Using data from a 2001 Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University national survey, our analysis finds that, for all minority groups, the effect of economic status on support for group interests is mediated by the socioeconomic experiences of individuals. Intergroup differences therefore result from varying experiences and perceptions of discrimination among minority groups rather than from group-specific theoretical processes. Compared to Latinos and Asian Americans, African Americans are least responsive to changes in economic circumstances because they are on the whole more pessimistic about their life prospects and more likely to encounter discrimination. But we find in general that, among those minority individuals who perceive equal opportunity and experience less discrimination, higher economic status often leads to a reduced emphasis on race and ethnicity. These results demonstrate that the incorporation of a minority group into American society depends not only on the actions of group members but also on the fair treatment of that group by the majority population.

The effect of party mobilization, group identity, and racial context on Asian Americans’ turnout

This study examines the effects of party mobilization, racial group identity, and racial context in accounting for Asian Americans’ voter turnout. Existing studies on minority group members’ voter turnout suggest that third party mobilization is one of the most important factors that motivates citizens’ participation in voting. This study expands these studies by elaborating the mechanisms of how party mobilization affects Asian Americans’ voter turnout in connection with racial identity and racial context. Specifically, I propose that belief in pan-ethnic Asian identity and racial context condition the effect of party mobilization in predicting Asian Americans’ voter turnout. The National Asian American Survey of 2008 is used to test this hypothesis. Analysis shows that party mobilization, group identity, and racial context work together in accounting for Asians’ voter turnout. The effect of existing parties’ mobilization efforts on Asians’ political participation is stronger among Asians who do not have a belief in linked fate. In addition, the conditional effect of party mobilization and linked fate exists only in the counties where few Asian Americans live. Similarly, the conditional effect of party mobilization and group size in the counties is dependent on the level of linked fate.

Affect and Public Support for Military Action

This study examines the effects of affect on public opinion on foreign policy. It extends the existing studies which show a significant role that affect, as measured by feelings toward a country, plays in shaping public opinion on military action. According to the existing theory, the mass public, which does not have high levels of political information and knowledge, can rely on affect to make reasonable decisions and opinions. This is possible because affect works as an information shortcut or heuristic that can help those individuals who lack cognitive capacity to engage in a systematic search for information and a decision-making process. The research finding confirms this theory. More importantly, this study extends the existing studies by elaborating the conditions under which affect works in accounting for individuals’ support for military intervention. The effect of affect is conditioned by the level of political knowledge, which shows that knowledgeable individuals are more adept at using affect as a heuristic tool.