This study implements a hierarchical latent class model to analyze political participation across Latin America. Unlike previous approaches that often treated conventional and unconventional engagement separately or failed to capture cross-country variations, this method simultaneously estimates citizens' propensity for both types of participation while identifying underlying "types" of political engagement specific to the region.
The analysis reveals consistent patterns in these participatory types throughout the continent. Citizens fall into distinct categories based on their combination of conventional and unconventional activities, with clear typologies emerging despite national differences.
Crucially, we find strong correlations between these participation profiles and key socio-demographic factors. Crime victimization emerges as a particularly significant correlate, shaping how citizens engage politically across different countries.
This novel application demonstrates the value of hierarchical latent class analysis for understanding political engagement in comparative contexts.
