Title:      Language Access and Initiative Outcomes: Did the
Voting Rights Act Influence Support for Bilingual Education?

Authors:    Daniel Hopkins

Entrydate:  2009-12-17 07:38:01

Keywords:   regression discontinuity design, multilevel
modeling, immigrant political incorporation, language access,
elections, Voting Rights Act

Abstract:   This paper investigates one tool designed to
enfranchise immigrants: foreign-language election materials.
Specifically, it estimates the impact of Spanish-language
assistance provided under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act.
Focusing on a California initiative on bilingual education, it
tests how Spanish-language materials influenced turnout and
election outcomes in Latino neighborhoods. It also considers the
possibility of an anti-Spanish backlash in non-Hispanic white
neighborhoods. Empirically, the analysis couples a regression
discontinuity design with multilevel modeling to isolate the
impact of Section 203. The analysis finds that Spanish-language
assistance increased turnout and reduced support for ending
bilingual education in Latino neighborhoods with many Spanish
speakers. It finds hints of backlash among non-Hispanic white
precincts, but not with the same certainty. The turnout finding
gains additional support from multilevel regression
discontinuity analyses of 2004 Latino voter turnout nationwide.
For Latino citizens who speak little English, the availability
of Spanish ballots increases turnout and influences election
outcomes as well.

http://polmeth.wustl.edu/retrieve.php?id=944

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