Political (Mis)behavior: Attention and Lacunae in the Study of Latino Politics

Abstract

The field of Latino politics has developed rapidly over the past decade, but some areas within the field have received more attention than others, with some topics remaining relatively overlooked. This article begins by reviewing three primary strands of the recent literature on Latino civic engagement, identity politics, and institutions. It then pivots off the 2016 election to highlight three additional lines of inquiry that are either understudied or where the findings in the literature remain conflicted: the effects of threat on Latino mobilization, the entry of new Latino voters into American politics, and Latino conservatism. Assessing the field, the article concludes by arguing for greater attention to understudied questions and against facile assumptions about Latinos in American politics.