Election Misinformation Hindering American Democracy: How Social Media Influences Latine Political Attitudes and Participation

This thesis assesses Latine voter's political attitudes and civic engagement. Specifically, probing the association between news consumption and views related to elections and the state of American democracy and civic engagement. Using the 2022 Univision Survey of Arizona Registered Voters conducted by Arizona Universities. Using RStudio, a novel measure of news information diet across multiple sources and created visuals that illustrate where Latinos are getting their political education, while also acknowledging the dangers of being exposed to misinformation based on the frequency of consumption. To complement analyses of mass attitudes, internal testimonies from community organizers in nonprofit organizations to understand how campaign investments aim to increase Latino civic engagement in Arizona. The combination of public opinion data and community leader perspectives offers a more complete set of insights regarding the place and role of Latinos in broader debates about the stability of American democracy.