Identity Politics...The New Political Buzzword

Can you put your identity aside to advance your political issues or is there an intersection between your identity and your politics? Dr. Christina Greer of Fordham University joins us to discuss the new political buzzword “identity politics”. We also give a mini lesson on gerrymandering, the decline in food prices and maybe the earth is trying to tell us something.

#CIVICDOCKET - 05:20 A few of the civic related stories we discussed on the show that you may have missed in mainstream media. Follow the hashtag #CivicDocket on Twitter or view more here.

  • Gerrymandering is the practice of politicians manipulating district lines to maintain or amass political power. Recently, New York Times Magazine featured a story about how mathematicians, political scientists, good government groups and legislators try to redraw legislative districts that fit court mandates.

  • Did you notice the decline in food prices? This piece from NPR reports that certain staple grocery items have the lowest prices in 60 years.

WHAT IS IDENTITY POLITICS? - 15:34 Identity politics is when people with shared identity or experience like race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or birthplace organize politically for their needs. L. Joy describes her views on how this term is now used negatively and how the naysayers are intellectually lazy.

GUEST INTERVIEW - 26:37 L. Joy is joined by Christina Greer, PhD to discuss the origins of the phrase identity politics. Dr Greer is the Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University - Lincoln Center (Manhattan) campus. Her research and teaching focus on American politics, black ethnic politics, urban politics, quantitative methods, Congress, New York City and New York State politics, campaigns and elections, and public opinion. Prof. Greer's book Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream (Oxford University Press) investigates the increasingly ethnically diverse black populations in the US from Africa and the Caribbean.

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