Political Clout of Hispanic Americans Examined in Lawrence University Lecture Series

APPLETON, WIS. -- A Harvard University political scientist will examine the growing political clout Hispanic Americans are wielding in state and national elections in the fifth installment of Lawrence University's international relations lecture series, "Race, Ethnicity and Nationality in Changing Societies."

Michael Jones-Correa, associate professor of government at Harvard, presents, "All Politics is Local: Latinos and the 2000 Election," Tuesday, January 30 at 7 p.m. in Lawrence's Science Hall, Room 102.

Much like suburban women in the 1996 election, Hispanic Americans were touted as the "new soccer moms" of the 2000 presidential campaign for the key role they were expected to play as swing voters, generating increased attention from both major parties. While the Latino vote did increase over the 1996 election turnout, they didn't materialize as the important swing vote "block" that Republicans hoped for and Democrats feared.

Jones-Correa will discuss why Latinos have exercised more influence on state elections to date than they have on the national front and what impact their state-level gains will eventually have on national outcomes.

The author of the 1998 book, "Between Two Nations: The Political Predicament of Latinos in New York City," Jones-Correa joined Harvard's government department in 1994 after earning his Ph.D. in politics at Princeton University.