The preliminary study examined the political ideology of the Mexican American in El Paso, Texas. Seventh grade students in five city public schools whose districts lie in the predominantly Mexican American sections of El Paso were asked to fill out a form stating their father's name, address, and citizenship. A randomized sample was then selected from each school. Utilizing a 91-item questionnaire, 50 male heads of family were asked about their: political orientation, cognition, and behavior; attitudes toward government and knowledge of local politics and Mexican American affairs. Written in English, the questionnaire was translated directly to Spanish for those requesting the interview be conducted in their native tongue. Among the findings were: (1) a low sense of political efficacy existed among the respondents; (2) a majority of the respondents had a favorable attitude toward the government's activities at all levels; (3) the respondents' general focus of attention did not revolve around political or governmental affairs; (4) at the state and local levels the respondents' concern centered on social and economic issues; and (5) a majority were unaware of the activities of Mexican American organizations, especially the political organizations. (NQ)