Party Identification Of American Ethnic Minorities

Party identification is an important concept in the study of electoral behavior in Western politics studies.Broadly speaking,party identification is a relatively stable and lasting identifying behavior of voter toward a certain political party.In the United States,the party identification of a voter generally manifests his/her identification with either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.In the last few decades,the growing ethnic minority voters have had a profound impact on American elections.Therefore,it's worth studying their senses of party identification.Since the enactment of the Civil Rights Act in 1965,African-Americans,who had been excluded from the American electorate for a long time,finally won their rights and become equal citizens with other American citizens.At the same time,their enthusiasm for political participation also rose.The Immigration Act of 1965 ended the National Origins Formula system of immigration quotas,so it was easier to become American citizens for immigrants from all of the world from then on.In 1990,the United States introduced a new revised immigration act,which increased the number of immigrants in America.The population of ethnic minority group immigrants,represented by Hispanics and Asians,have increased sharply in the United States in recent two decades.In some Southern states,the number of ethnic minorities has already exceeded that of the whites.Therefore,their political attitudes and party identification cannot be ignored.According to the recent election results,the party identification of all ethnic minorities is more inclined to the Democratic Party.One reason is that the Democratic Party's policies on postponing the repatriation of illegal immigrants,increasing employment rate,guaranteeing the rights and interests on education and health insurance are more friendly to ethnic minorities.At the same time,the religious beliefs and educational level of ethnic minorities also shape their party identification.In addition,American ethnic minorities' party identification has a growing impact on American politics:first,the number of ethnic minorities voters is increasing and their political participation are enhancing;second,ethnic minority interest groups are enhancing their influence on American politics through lobbying,judicial litigation and political donations;third,Hispanic voters,which belong to "swing states",are becoming a key minority and an important force influencing the outcome of previous elections.Studying the party identification of American minorities is helpful to comprehensively understand the "party identification" theory in American politics,to explore the influence and role of ethnic minority groups in American politics,and to explore new ways to understand and research the current situation and changes of contemporary American politics.