American Indian party identification: why American Indians tend to be democrats

Abstract

ABSTRACT Surprisingly little research has examined the political attitudes and behaviors of American Indians. This paper helps fill the void by examining their party identification. Specifically, we expect that American Indians who are close to their American Indian heritage will be strong Democrats because the Democratic Party has an image and policy positions that are thought to be better for racial and ethnic minorities. To test this, we survey 300 American Indians using an opt-in Internet panel. We measure closeness to American Indian heritage with identity (race), attachment (linked fate), primary identity with tribe/U.S./American Indians, group consciousness (perceptions of discrimination and need for collective action), growing up on the reservation, language and lineage (number of American Indian grandparents). We find evidence that those who identify with another minority race, primarily identify with their tribe, believe American Indians are held back, and grew up on a reservation were more likely to be Democrats. We also found that those who were more proficient in their tribal language and had more American Indian grandparents were more likely to be Republicans. We argue that this offers general support for our expectation.