Under Democratic governors, Blacks are more likely to work, decreasing their earnings gap with whites.

In recent years, inequality has come to the forefront as a political concern. In new research, Louis-Philippe Beland examines how the party affiliation of state governors affects the earnings gap between black and white workers. Using labor market and election data, he finds that under Democratic governors, blacks are more likely to participate in the labor market and work more intensively, narrowing the earnings gap between blacks and whites.