Indigenous Citizens Vote Equally — and Engage More Locally in Latin America

📌 Research Question

How do Indigenous peoples across Latin America participate in politics, and what explains that participation? More than 500 Indigenous groups in the region have faced repression and attempts at erasure, yet communities persist and are politically active. This study probes whether standard structural and institutional explanations fully account for Indigenous political engagement or whether community-level dynamics matter more.

🧾 Survey Evidence: AmericasBarometer, 17 Countries (2004–2019)

• Uses the AmericasBarometer survey covering 17 Latin American countries from 2004–2019.
• Compares Indigenous respondents to non-Indigenous respondents on multiple political behaviors.

📈 Key Findings

• Voting: Indigenous people vote at levels equal to other citizens.
• Political activity beyond voting: Indigenous respondents are more likely than non-Indigenous respondents to:
• protest,
• contact government officials,
• join political parties,
• campaign,
• discuss politics.
• Population size: Variation in voting turnout can be partially explained by Indigenous population size in a given area.
• Local engagement: High levels of local and non-voting political participation occur among Indigenous communities regardless of population size.

🔍 Mechanism: Local Associations and Community-Focused Activism

• Structural and institutional democratic factors do not fully capture Indigenous political engagement.
• Activism is often locally focused, rooted in community organizations, and centered on high-salience issues.
• Associational participation is identified as a mechanism that helps generate and shape diverse forms of Indigenous political action.

💡 Why It Matters

These results challenge narratives that frame Indigenous populations primarily as politically disengaged. The findings highlight the importance of local organizations and non-electoral forms of participation for understanding representation and mobilization in Latin America.