One Model Does Not Fit All: Group Consciousness and the Political Participation and Attitudes of American Indians

Objective Although group consciousness of minority groups is believed to increase their rates of political participation and help shape their attitudes, no research has examined group consciousness of American Indians. Therefore, our objective is to help fill this void by estimating the effects of American Indians' group consciousness on their political interests, voting rates, and support for co-ethnic candidates. Methods We use a unique data set based on an opt-in panel survey of American Indians. Results We find that similar to most Americans, American Indians who have higher levels of group consciousness are more likely to support co-ethnic candidates. However, unlike African Americans and Hispanics, group consciousness has little effect on American Indians' political participation and interest. Conclusions We believe that the unique findings may be related to the small number of American Indians in the United States, or their unique place in the U.S. political fabric. Nevertheless, the findings warn against assuming that theories designed for one minority group will automatically transfer to another.