The New Politics of Indian Gaming: The Rise of Reservation Interest Groups

The advent of gaming on Indian reservations has created a new kind of tribal politics over the past three decades. Now armed with often substantial financial resources, Indigenous peoples have adjusted their political strategies from a focus on the judicial system and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to one that directly lobbies state and federal governments and non-Indigenous voters. These tactics allow tribes to play an influential role in shaping state and national policies that affect their particular interests. Using case studies of major Indian gaming states, the contributing authors analyze the interplay of tribal governance, state politics, and federalism, and illustrate the emergence of reservation governments as political power brokers.

Kenneth N. Hansen is associate professor of political science and former co-coordinator of the American Indian Studies Program at California State University, Fresno. Tracy A. Skopek is associate professor of political science and director of the Master of Public Administration Program at the University of Wyoming.