Partisanship and Indigenous Political Behavior in Latin American

• In Event: Comparative Ethnic Politics

Abstract

Indigenous peoples across Latin America have mobilized to push for political change and expand group rights since the 1990s. In many counties, indigenous peoples developed new modes of representation, including indigenous social movements and political parties, to advance indigenous demand and interests. At the same time, the traditional party systems across Latin America have undergone significant change, upheaval, and fragmentation. Yet, with these dynamic changes, we still know relatively little about how indigenous peoples have responded to party changes across Latin America. This paper explores how indigenous peoples in Latin America engage with political systems and political parties in the countries in which they live. Using survey data from 2004-2019, we explore trends in indigenous partisanship and voting behavior among indigenous peoples, with attention to both individual and country-level explanatory factors. We find that there is substantial variation in indigenous support for leftist parties, including for indigenous political parties. We unpack why and discuss implications for indigenous participation and representation cross Latin America.

Authors

• Carew E. Boulding, University of Colorado, Boulder

• Raymond Foxworth, First Nations Development Institute