Partisanship and Opinion Leaders: Friends or Foes? Partisan and Public Opinion Determinants of Civic Culture in Mexico.

Who do Mexicans trust the most to guide their political actions: opinion leaders or their own predispositions? While opinion leaders “filter” information and guide media debates, political party identification is the perceptual screen through which individuals assess new information and understand politics. Thus, when retrieving new information, individuals face two strong opposite forces: leaders’ opinion and their own biases. Using the 4th National Survey of Political Culture and Civic Practices (ENCUP) 2008, carried out by Mexico’s Secretary of Interior, I will observe which one of these two forces shapes individuals’ political and civic attitudes the most. Moreover, it will show which opinion leaders are preferred by each group of partisans and independents, as well as their political and civic attitudes. My research will not only uncover opinion leaders’ traits regarding political and civic cultures, but by explaining the determinants of both partisans and independents’ sources of political and civic attitudes in Mexico, it will suggest possible lines of action to design public policies that may help to strengthen Mexican’s political culture and civic practices. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]