Voter Turnout and Political Efficacy Among Mexican-Americans in Michigan

Abstract

A description and explanation of the research on levels of political interest and feelings of political efficacy among Mexican-Americans is presented. The primary concerns are comparing Mexican-Americans with other Americans, determining the effect of the Mexican-American subculture, and evaluating the usefulness of standard explanations of variations in political interest and feeling of political efficacy in explaining variations among Mexican-Americans. The research sample included 465 Mexican-Americans in Michigan. Contrary to past studies, which have described Mexican-Americans as politically inactive and fatalistic, we found that Mexican-Americans did not differ significantly from other similar Americans in voting turnout and political efficacy. The Mexican-American subculture did not discourage voting or encourage a sense of powerlessness. Generally, standard theories were useful in explaining variations in voting turnout and political efficacy among Mexican-Americans. An additional factor of importance was the perception of the status of Mexican-Americans in society.