David L. Leal

Interests

Biography

My primary academic interest is Latino politics.  My goal is to understand how Latino individuals and communities shape, and are shaped by, politics in the United States.  Because these are complex and multifaceted dynamics, my research spans the fields of political behavior, public policy, and public opinion. 

These interests often lead to interdisciplinary approaches.  For instance, some of my early work examined the substantive implications of Latino descriptive representation on school boards and how political dynamics affect the adoption and implementation of education programs.

Another line of research examines how Latino political engagement is influenced by factors beyond standard socioeconomic variables – particularly religion, military service, ethnic identification, and immigration status.  This work began in the 1990s, a time when political science was less interested in such topics.  Today, their importance to Latino politics, and to U.S. politics more broadly, are better recognized.

Recent interests include the distinctiveness of Latino political opinions and behaviors; the political meaning of intra-Catholic identities; how non-Latinos affect Latino political influence; and testing conventional wisdoms about Latinos and immigrants.

Several additional interests might be categorized as North American politics.  I wrote a book about American gubernatorial elections, edited a symposium in PS about Canadian politics, and have written about Mexican democratization. I am currently working on a project that explores how Mexican immigrants engage in both U.S. and transnational politics.

Recent Research
• “The Case of the Disappearing Latinos: The Consequences of (Non) Ethnic Identification for Understanding Latino Political Participation in the United States.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association. Chicago, IL, April 12-15, 2012.
• Forthcoming. David L. Leal, Byung-Jae Lee, and James A. McCann. “Transnational Absentee Voting in the 2006 Mexican Presidential Election: The Roots of Participation.” Electoral Studies.
• 2012. Julie A. Dowling, Christopher G. Ellison, and David L. Leal. “Who Doesn’t Value English? Debunking Myths About Mexican Immigrants’ Attitudes Towards the English Language.” Social Science Quarterly, v93: 356-78.
• 2011. Christopher G. Ellison, Heeju Shin, and David L. Leal. “The Contact Hypothesis and Attitudes toward Latinos in the United States.” Social Science Quarterly, v92: 938-958.
• 2011. David L. Leal and Kenneth J. Meier (Eds.). The Politics of Latino Education. New York: Teachers College Press.
• 2010. Corrine M. McConnaughy, Ismail K. White, David L. Leal, and Jason P. Casellas. “A Latino on the Ballot: Explaining Co-Ethnic Voting among Latinos and the Response of White Americans.” Journal of Politics, v72: 1199 -1211.
• 2010. “Religion in Latino Political and Civic Lives.” In Alan Wolfe and Ira Katznelson (Eds.), Religion and Democracy in the United States: Danger or Opportunity? Princeton and New York: Princeton University Press and Russell Sage Foundation. 

Activities
• Director, Irma Rangel Public Policy Institute, University of Texas at Austin.
• Founding Director, Immigration Studies Initiative, University of Texas at Austin.
• Book Series Editor: “Immigrants and Minorities, Politics and Policy.” Springer.
• Member, Editorial Board, American Politics Research, Social Science Quarterly, and State Politics & Policy Quarterly
• In the media: New York Times (“Room for Debate: Why Congress Falters on Immigration”), CNN.com (“Latinos not flexing political muscle – yet”), and the Ottawa Citizen (“Canadians prefer Democrats, study says”).
• 2006-2008: Member, American Political Science Association (APSA) Task Force on Religion and Democracy in the United States
• 2004-2006: Co-Chair, APSA Committee on the Status of Latinos y Latinas in the Profession
• 2002-2004: National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow
• 1998-99: APSA Congressional Fellow

NIH Biosketch