Rodney E. Hero

Latino Participation, Partisanship, and Office Holding

University of Arizona Harry Pachon, Claremont Graduate School The Latino population in the United States is growing rapidly, and one possible consequence is increased political participation and empowerment. Another consequence may be that Latino communities, voters, and interests face increasing marginalization and discrimination. Whatever scenario one envisions, several realities are clear. Latino political mobilization is difficult because of

Multiracial Coalitions in City Elections Involving Minority Candidates: Some Evidence from Denver

In this research I examine the electoral coalitions of minority candidates elected citywide. The focus is on the election of a Hispanic as mayor and a black as city auditor of Denver. Although the coalitions that elected the two minority candidates are similar in many respects, there are some notable differences. Perhaps most interesting are the levels of black support for the Hispanic candidate as compared to the Hispanic support for the black candidate. And the level of nonminority support for the black auditor candidate is somewhat higher than that for the Hispanic mayoral candidate. These findings are integrally important but there are also broader implications.

Mexican American Referenda Voting on Urban Economic Development and Governmental Structure Issues: Research Note

The voting behavior of Mexican Americans is compared to that of Anglos on several referenda issues in one city. The referenda votes focus on several issues that theory suggests are central to understanding contemporaryAmerican urban politics: economic development and human services, and governmental structure. The analysis brings together issues of ethnicity, public policy, and governmental structure. The contention that economic development is almost universally popular is not strongly supported by the findings. This is a significant finding relative to an influential theory, one that has not been extensively tested. Another significant finding is the apparent substantial difference between Mexican Americans and Anglos regarding some major urban public policy issues, such as economic development and human services.