RIVERSIDE – (INT) - Latinos and Asian Americans are the least likely to have a say in California’s politics, during election cycles and year round even through far more are holding elective office.

That is one of the key findings of a new report by Advancement Project and the School of Public Policy at University of California, Riverside, the first comprehensive assessment in more than a decade of political participation at the ballot box and beyond in California.

Ten years of political participation – from nonvoting efforts like contacting public officials, supporting campaigns and attending political meetings to voting trends in presidential, statewide and local elections were analyzed.

The report found that, while people of color make up the majority of the state’s population – more than 60 percent – stark disparities exist in their ability to influence politics at all levels and to shape the policies that impact their lives. The report concluded that racial gaps remain even after accounting for socioeconomic factors like education, income and homeownership.

“Our political system is in trouble when some groups have significantly more say than others,” said political scientist Karthick Ramakrishnan, co-author of the report and associate dean of the UC Riverside School of Public Policy. “This election cycle rightly has brought heightened awareness about class inequality, but our report raises the alarm about racial disparities in political participation that persist even after taking class into account.”

Story Date: July 7, 2016