Race, Representation, and Trust: Changes in Attitudes After the Election of a Black Mayor

This article addresses the general proposition that changesin leadership images precipitate changes in public opinion.Specifically, the purpose of this research is to determine ifchanges in the levels of political trust expressed by blackand white city residents can be attributed to the election ofa city's first black mayor. The attitudes of black and whiteresidents of the City of Atlanta before and after the electionof a black mayor are compared, and changes occurring duringthe study period are compared to similar national data. Alternateexplanations for the changes observed are explored. The dataexamined suggest that increased identification with city governmentamong blacks is stimulated by the election of a black mayor.