Latino Political Participation and Representation in Elective Office (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
July 16, 2002 |
| Report Number |
RS20353 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Kevin Coleman, Government and Finance Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
America's Latino population is on the verge of becoming the largest minority group in the
country,
a phenomenon that is significant with respect to the representational responsibilities of Members of
Congress. After several decades of rapid population growth, Latinos will surpass African Americans
as the largest minority group within the decade, according to the Census Bureau projections. By
2010, Latinos are projected to be 13.8% of the national population (African Americans are projected
to be 13.5%), and 16.3% of the population a decade later. However, Latino voting participation has
remained static for decades, despite the intervening increase in population. In Presidential elections,
Latino turnout increased from 28.9% to 45.1% between 1992 and 2000, but the increase in the 2000
election is at least partly due to a new Census Bureau method of calculating turnout that excludes
non-citizens. (1) As a percentage of those who voted in recent elections,
Latinos were 3% of the
electorate in 1994, about 5% in 1998, and 4% in 2000 according to exit polls. The number of
Latinos in Congress, 21, was unchanged after the 2000 election. In states with large Latino
populations, California and Texas for example, Latinos make up about 15% of the electorate, based
on recent elections. These factors may point to a groundswell in Latino participation, but to fully
translate the rapid increase in population into political power will require even higher rates of Latino
voter participation than in the past. This report will be updated to reflect the results of the 2002
general election.
1. Â The U.S. Census Bureau for the first time estimated the
voting age population to exclude non-citizens in
its report on the 2000 election; the Latino turnout rate in 2000 is based on this estimate. Turnout
data for
earlier years does not exclude non-citizens.
