Segregation and Integration in Dallas County: What Do Demographic Differences Between Neighborhoods tell us About the Political Preference of those Neighborhoods?

How does environment affect how people decide to vote? If a person lives in a more diverse environment, does that change their fundamental political preference? This research uses both racial demographic information of voters in Dallas County and aggregate election results to draw a conclusion about the voting preference of individuals living within the county depending on the makeup of their precinct. Using 2010 census data to identify the demographic composition of every precinct in Dallas County, this research finds that the white population in the county is heavily concentrated in the north-central region, the black population in the south-central region, and the Hispanic population in the west-central region. Using Texas’ 2010 Gubernatorial Election results to identify the electoral outcome of every precinct in Dallas County, this research finds that the north-central region leans Republican, the south-central region leans heavily Democratic, and the west-central region leans slightly Democratic. Through measuring neighborhood level segregation and integration and comparing varying levels of demographic makeup in precincts with voting outcome, this research identifies the relationship between voting preference and the white, black and Hispanic populations. By investigating patterns of segregation in Dallas at both the precinct and county levels, this research finds that segregation polarizes voting preference. This research concludes that in Dallas, a small black population may polarize Hispanic voters to lean heavily Democratic in the absence of a white population.