The influence of socio-economic characteristics on the political attitudes of American Indians

We examine the political attitudes of American Indians in eastern Oklahoma where they make up almost 20% of the population. We argue that American Indians in the region play the same role that other minorities in the southern states—notably blacks and Hispanics—do in resisting the region's realignment from the Democratic to the Republican Party. American Indians in the region are populists in that they are economically liberal and religiously conservative. The results of our analysis suggest that the socio-economic characteristics of American Indians play a greater role in explaining American Indians’ political attitudes than their ethnic identification.

► We examine the political attitudes of American Indians in eastern Oklahoma.
► We argue that American Indians in the region are populists in that they are economically liberal and religiously conservative.
► The results of our analysis show that the socio-economic status of American Indians, rather than their ethnic identification, significantly affects their political attitudes.