Protecting White Interests: A Case Example of Interest Convergence in Policymaking

Abstract

Although various policy analysis frameworks exist within the social work literature, few specifically address the racism inherent to policymaking processes. We propose interest convergence as a conceptual lens for policy analysis to expose the racism inherent in policymaking. Transcripts from 19 public hearings of five bills sponsored during the 2017 Nevada legislative session were included in the data analysis for this study. A thematic analysis took place at the latent level to identify underlying concepts, assumptions, and ideas within the data (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Results indicate that the public testimony process and ultimate outcomes of public policy making protect white interests which sustains structural racism. In understanding the dynamics of interest convergence in policymaking, social work educators, policy advocates, and macro-practitioners would be better equipped to impact the policymaking processes focused on racial equity.

Keywords

• policymaking, interest convergence, structural racism