Publication Type: Paper (prepared oral presentation)
Abstract: Latinos are the largest minority population in the United States and one that continues to grow. A parallel growth has taken place in the electoral arena with Latino elected officials growing over 70% in just one decade, from 1996 to 2006 (NALEO 2005). With the recent advent and increase of both Latino voters and Latino candidates I consider whether ethnic voting will take place. Will ethnic identity rather than partisanship serve as a main predictor of electoral choice? Will the ethnic in-group match be sufficient in determining vote choice? This paper considers whether Latinos prefer co-ethnic candidates and if so, to what degree. I examine how Latinos evaluate co-ethnic candidates—both those who share one’s partisanship and who do not.
For Latinos, the Latino electoral context may function as a cue that can draw out in-group ethnic identifications and/or bolster present levels of identification. However, in-group identifications are not uniform. As a result, the variance in Latino (in-group) identification must be accounted for. I will test the influence, and more specifically, the moderating effect of the substantive component of Latino identity. In particular, I look at how different dimensions of Latino group identity, together and in isolation, influence the ultimate evaluation of a co-ethnic candidate. I focus on four substantive dimensions of identity: centrality, evaluation, linked fate, behavioral Involvement. I use data from an original experiment to examine the role of cued ethnic in-group identity on subsequent political preferences.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Political parties have historically provided linkages to various racial, ethnic and religious groups. However, such links have not always been the most efficient, sustainable, or the most cost-effective for mobilizing long-term relationships with such groups. Additionally, there have been varying interpretations of what linkages mean across time and space, e.g., should linkages always be transparent, are they necessarily better if they are long-term. Moreover, beyond simply attempting to garner votes from such groups (which have often been marginalized and used for political expediency), political parties have waxed and waned in their social efforts. That is, political parties have often not been able to sustain social (let alone political and economic) linkages to various groups.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Recent electoral outcomes have put into question partisanship’s role as the primary social
identity to predict Latino vote choice. This paper addresses the nature of Latino vote choice, building on the established research from Latino political behavior and new work on Latino vote choice. More specifically, I probe the relationship between Latino group identification and context and its ultimate influence on Latino voting behavior. I seek to answer what “hat” Latinos wear in the voting booth and why. The results from the following analysis indicate the importance of incorporating a more contextualized and nuanced treatment of ethnicity for vote choice models.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: In recent years the states have engaged in reforms in the arenas of election administration, personal identification and education that have dealt with issues of individual identification and information collection. In part, this has been the result of three federal legislative Acts: the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 which seeks to improve election administration after the controversial elections of 2000, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 which intends to improve educational outcomes through increased standards and accountability, and the REAL ID Act of 2005 which seeks to increase the security of state driver licenses and personal Ids. These legislations have prompted state responses but the paths of reform have been varied, across the states and policy areas. The goal of this paper is to understand the determinants of recent reforms in these policy areas, but in particular as they relate to issues of identification and information collection. The foci will be in the area of election administration on reforms dealing with voter ID requirements and registration databases; in the area of personal identification on proof of citizenship requirements and database sharing for driver licenses; and in the area of education on statewide student information systems and IDs. Methodologically, the study will be based on multivariate analyses predicting states’ reforms in each of these areas. Overall, this line of research will inform how states negotiate federal and citizens’ diverse pressures, as well as the role of politics, local predispositions and need when dealing with identification-related reforms.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper examines why individuals do not appear to act strategically when choosing whether to vote or abstain, but do appear to act strategically when asked to place a vote for a candidate.