mainstream parties of the center left and center right have confronted this prospect by hiding their heads in the ground , hoping against hope that the problem will disappear .
it will not , as america 's racial history clearly shows .
race relations in the us have been for decades - and remain - at the center of political debate , to the point that racial cleavages are as important as income , if not more , as determinants of political preferences and attitudes .
the first step to address racial politics is to understand the origin and consequences of racial animosity , even if it means uncovering unpleasant truths .
this is precisely what a large amount of research in economics , sociology , psychology and political science has done for the us .