Abstract

BENTON, Allyson Lucinda. The Effect of Electoral Rules on Indigenous Voting Behavior in Mexico's State of Oaxaca. Polít. gob [online]. 2009, vol.16, n.1, pp.37-69. ISSN 1665-2037.

This study analyzes whether subnational ethnic group and institutional variation leads to variation in ethnic group political behavior. To this end, I focus on the political behavior of indigenous groups in Mexico. Though Mexico has a small indigenous population compared to many other countries in Latin America and does not host ethnic-based political parties, it benefits from certain institutional and demographic features that allow analysis of how different electoral laws interact with ethnicity to shape political behavior. To this end, I study Mexico's state of Oaxaca where municipal governments have been legally allowed to adopt different kinds of electoral rules and where ethnic group heterogeneity is high. Statistical analysis of municipal institutions, indigenous group density, and federal election results in this state show that certain municipal electoral rules exacerbate ethnic group abstention, although they have had no impact on electoral margins or partisan support.

Keywords : uses and customs; elections; Oaxaca; indigenous groups.

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