VICE News/Ipsos Survey for the Brown & Black Forum

Washington, DC, January 19, 2020 — A recent VICE News/Ipsos poll delves into what issues African Americans and Hispanic Americans care about most as we approach the 2020 presidential election. 

Read the full story from VICE News here. 

Differing priorities and concerns across racial breakdowns

Priorities

• Overall, nearly half (49%) of Americans say that the problem of healthcare costs is one of the top three main problems facing the country. This is followed by drug and opioid abuse (34%), illegal immigration (33%) and global warming (33%).
• While white Americans are most likely to say that healthcare costs are one of the main problems (57%), African Americans are most likely to say racism (50%). Hispanic Americans are most likely to say healthcare costs (39%) but are more likely than white Americans to see racism as a main problem (30% of Hispanics, 19% of white Americans).
• African Americans are less likely than whites and Hispanics to see illegal immigration as a main problem (13% vs. 36% of white Americans and 31% of Hispanic Americans). They are also more likely to see unemployment (26% vs. 14% of white Americans and 18% of Hispanic Americans) and the unfair criminal justice system (29% vs. 11% of white Americans and 14% of Hispanic Americans) as main problems.
• Regarding African Americans’ and Hispanic Americans’ shared viewpoint, 55% of African Americans see their concerns and values as aligned while 46% of Hispanic Americans share this sentiment.

Concerns

• While being able to afford healthcare is the most likely concern across racial divides, concern regarding housing, food, job security and higher education show differences.
• Three quarters of African Americans (76%) and 71% of Hispanics are concerned about housing affordability, while 62% of white Americans share this concern.
• More African Americans (67%) and Hispanic Americans (62%) are concerned about paying for higher education than white Americans (44%).
• Similarly, African Americans (69%) and Hispanic Americans (71%) are also more likely than white Americans (53%) to be concerned about job security for those in their household.
• Being able to afford food and household necessities is a concern for 75% of African Americans, 69% of Hispanic Americans, and 62% of White Americans.

Mixed support for reparations

• Three in ten Americans support reparations for the descendants of slaves. Two in ten white Americans (19%) feel this way, while a plurality of Hispanics (41%) share this sentiment. A clear majority of African Americans (62%) support reparations.
• A plurality of Americans, regardless of racial identification, would support reparations more if they were used for housing credits or college tuition instead of cash payments or if people would have to prove that their ancestors were slaves in order to claim them.
• When provided with the information that reparations would help to eliminate the racial wealth divide in America, just 23% of white Americans say they are more likely to support reparations, compared to 43% of Hispanic Americans and 62% of African Americans.

2020 Presidential Election

• African Americans and Hispanic Americans are more likely than white Americans to want a minority or women for president. They are also more likely to support a candidate who has a plan for Medicare for All.
• While 40% of white Americans would consider voting for Donald Trump for president in 2020, only 9% of African Americans and a quarter of Hispanics share this viewpoint.
• Bernie Sanders (56%) and Joe Biden (54%) have a majority of African Americans who are considering to vote for them.
• Hispanic Americans are more likely to consider voting for Bernie Sanders (47%) than Joe Biden (37%).
• Thirty-nine percent of African Americans would consider voting for Elizabeth Warren, compared to 28% of white Americans.
• Bloomberg receives slightly more support from African Americans (27%) than white Americans (22%).
• Contrary to other reports, this poll does not see a statistically significant difference between African Americans (17%) supporting Pete Buttigieg and white (21%) or Hispanic Americans (20%).

About the Study

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between January 8-10, 2020 on behalf of VICE Media. For this survey, a sample of roughly 2,013 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S. Alaska and Hawaii was interviewed online in English and Spanish. The sample includes 784 white respondents, 585 African American respondents, and 577 Hispanic respondents.

The sample of Hispanic respondents includes those who are considered mostly acculturated, partially acculturated and unacculturated based on an acculturation index. The index includes questions concerning time in the United States, languages spoken, and social network.

The sample for this study was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online panel (see link below for more info on “Access Panels and Recruitment”), partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling (see link below for more info on the Ipsos “Ampario Overview” sample method) and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing a sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the U.S. Population using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S. Census 2016 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demographics. Post-hoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, and education.

Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online non-probability polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=2,013, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=+/-4.0 percentage points).

The poll also has a credibility interval plus or minus 4.0 percentage points for white respondents, plus or minus 4.6 percentage points for African American respondents, and plus or minus 4.7 percentage points for Hispanic respondents.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Chris Jackson
Vice President, US
Public Affairs
+1 202 420-2025
[email protected]

Kate Silverstein
Media Relations, US
Public Affairs
+1 718 755-8829
[email protected]

About Ipsos

Ipsos is the world’s third largest market research company, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people.

Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. We serve more than 5000 clients across the world with 75 business solutions.

Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1st, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).

ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP

www.ipsos.com