Measuring White Identity

Abstract Scholars increasingly emphasize identity politics as a crucial factor influencing white political behavior, which is often conceptualized as a form of defensive solidarity. But does current measurement accurately capture this concept? This study reconsiders the measurement of white identity to more accurately reflect its conceptualization, distinguishing between identity and consciousness without imposing ideological interpretations of group membership. I develop and test adapted measures for white identity and consciousness, allowing for ideological variation, and find that existing measures disproportionately reflect whites who are racially conservative in part because of measurement. Testing the measures on support for Trump and affirmative action, I find that the effects of white identity are conditional on the ideological interpretation of group consciousness embedded in existing measures. This study challenges dominant assumptions about the inherent conservatism of white identity and contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of racial politics in the United States.