The Evolution of Mexican American Political Participation - The Case of San Antonio, Texas 1980-2010.

In this manuscript the authors return to their long-term research enterprise focusing on Latinosiand political participation (thereby also examining the notion of inclusion) in San Antonio, Texas from approximately 1980 through present day. San Antonio is the seventh most populated city in the United States, as per the 2000 decennial census; one of the largest (second only to Los Angles) majorityminority cities during the first several decades of the twenty-first century. We examine political engagement from the perspective of the "divided city" hypothesis and discover the persistent presence (over-time) of co-ethnic voting behaviors for both Latinos and Anglos. Utilizing precinct level data from three recent mayoral elections, including the most recent mayoral election, we provide: empirical illustrations, observational data, and test our "divided-city" hypothesis. Our research is not devoid of contextual factors - consequently we address the issue of "a Post-Hispanic Mayor" in the twenty-first century while examining the exogenous effects of the Voting Rights Acts, fiscal federalism, structuralmunicipal reforms, intergovernmental relations, maybe providing new evidence to assess the perennial urban conflict between democracy and economic efficiency. We hope to contribute to the research literature that provides evidence supporting the notion - ethnic politics continue to have a significant and strong effect on the dynamics of urban politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]