GVPT Chair Antoine Banks Wins 2026 David O. Sears Book Award

Department Chair Antoine Banks and his coauthor, Ismail White, Professor of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University, won the 2026 David O. Sears Book Award for their work, The Anger Rule: Racial Inequality and Constraints on Black Politicians. 

The award will be announced at the 49th annual scientific meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology.

The David O. Sears Book Award is given annually to the best book published in the field of political psychology of mass politics during the previous calendar year. The award recognizes work that demonstrates the highest quality of thought and makes a major substantive contribution to the study of political behavior, political values, political identities, and political movements.

From the book description of, The Anger Rule examines how racial inequality persists in the United States through what the authors term an “anger rule.” Banks and White argue that Black politicians are penalized for expressing anger in political contexts, particularly when addressing issues related to their racial group. Using a multi-method approach, they show that both Black politicians and Black voters are aware of this constraint, which shapes how political messages are communicated in environments dominated by majority-white audiences. This dynamic limits how racial inequality is addressed in American politics.

Order your copy of The Anger Rule

Published on Thu, 04/02/2026 - 12:10