This dissertation investigates how Latino ethnic group identification enters the voting calculus of Americans (Latinos and non-Latinos alike). The rapid growth of ethnically angled campaigns in the 21st Century demands a consideration of the role of Latino ethnicity both among Latinos and non-Latinos. Two questions in particular, are addressed. First, how do Latinos1 respond to co-ethnic candidates? Second, how do non-Latinos respond to Latino candidates? This dissertation argues that individual levels of ethnic in-group identification and ethnic cues condition the likelihood of ethnicity exerting an independent effect on vote choice for Latinos; affecting the likelihood that ethnicity "trumps" partisanship. For non-Latinos, the focus is on the perception of non-Latinos toward Latino (ethnic out-group) candidates. What type of ethnic cue triggers a rejection of the ethnic out-group candidate, even if that candidate has one's same partisanship? As out-group members, how do non-Latinos react to Latino ethnic contexts, or put more simply, "how much" ethnicity is a non-Latino comfortable with?
This dissertation utilizes a cognitive-affective model of the role of social groups in political thinking to understand the mechanism linking shared group attitudes/orientations to vote choice. A multi-method approach is employed in this dissertation. However, given the nature of the question and data limitations, the primary methodology is experimentation. An experimental design allows for the testing of the role of different Latino ethnic contexts on vote choice for both Latinos and non-Latinos.
The broader impact of this project is the understanding that will be gained of Latino political behavior. Latinos are now the largest minority group in the country and their growth rates are projected to continue unabated (Census 2000). Today, any discussion of American politics requires a well-informed treatment of Latinos.
