Ethnic Cues: The Role of Shared Ethnicity in Latino Political Participation (The Politics of Race and Ethnicity)

Does placing a Latino candidate on the ticket mobilize Latino voters?| "New theoretical propositions, original data, and rigorous empirical tests are what one looks for in cutting-edge social science. Fortunately, all three are apparent in Ethnic Cues. The author has pushed his thinking to develop new ways of understanding and explaining patterns of Latino voting behavior." —-Luis Ricardo Fraga, University of Washington, Seattle "Matt Barreto investigates some of the ramifications of two new related developments in American political life: the stunning growth of the Latino immigrant population in recent decades and the accompanying exponential explosion in the number of Latino candidates running for political office at the local, state, and national levels." —-Reuel R. Rogers, Northwestern University Until recently, much of the research on political participation has resisted the idea that Latino voters rely on ethnic cues. The discussion has become increasingly salient as political strategists have learned to define individual voting blocs and mobilize them in support of a candidate. Nourished by the debate over immigration, the search for the Latino voter has now blossomed into a national political obsession. Against this background, Matt A. Barreto assays the influence of ethnic identification on Latinos' voting behavior. Barreto asks whether the presence of co-ethnic candidates actually does mobilize Latino voters in support of these candidates. His analysis of in-depth candidate interviews, public opinion surveys, official election results, and statistics finds that it does. He goes on to describe the dynamic of voting in the Latino community and sharpens our appreciation of how ethnic considerations influence the electoral choices of Americans more generally. In a time of intensely focused campaign appeals, Barreto's work has much to tell us about the mechanics of public opinion and the role of race and ethnicity in voting behavior. Matt A. Barreto is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Washington and Director of the Washington Institute for the Study of Ethnicity, Race, and Sexuality (WISER). Cover art credit: © iStockphoto.com/P_Wei "Until recently, much of the research on political participation has resisted the idea that Latino voters rely on ethnic cues. The discussion has become increasingly salient as political strategists have learned to define individual voting blocs and mobilize them in support of a candidate. Nourished by the debate over immigration, the search for the Latino voter has now blossomed into a national political obsession." "Against this background, Matt A. Barreto assays the influence of ethnic identification on Latinos' voting behavior. Barreto asks whether the presence of co-ethnic candidates actually does mobilize Latino voters in support of these candidates. His analysis of in-depth candidate interviews, public opinion surveys, official election results, and statistics finds that it does. He goes on to describe the dynamic of voting in the Latino community and sharpens our appreciation of how ethnic considerations influence the electoral choices of Americans more generally. In a time of intensely focused campaign appeals, Barreto's work has much to tell us about the machanics of public opinion and the role of race and ethnicity in voting behavior."--Jacket Assessing the role of shared ethnicity in Latino political behavior Latino politics in the twenty-first century: a new theory of Latino political Behavior Theory meets reality: elite perspectives on Latino mobilization Does ethnic identification trump party identification? evaluating Latino vote choice In a hypothetical setting The impact of Latino mayoral candidates on Latino voters: new evidence from five Mayoral elections, 2001 -2003 Latino candidates for state legislature and congress: how multiple co-ethnic Candidates affect turnout !viva Bill Richardson! Latinos and the 2008 presidential election Ethnic cues and the new American voter: implications and conclusion. Does placing a Latino candidate on the ticket mobilize Latino voters? This book assays the influence of ethnic identification on Latinos' voting behavior. It asks whether the presence of co-ethnic candidates actually does mobilize Latino voters in support of these candidates.