THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA'S SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS OF AGING RESEARCH PROGRAM INTERVIEWED 1,269 BLACK, MEXICAN-AMERICAN, AND WHITE RESIDENTS CONCERNING THEIR POLITICAL ORIENTATIONS AND ATTITUDES. THE SURVEY FOUND ETHNIC GROUP CONTRASTS IN POLITICAL ORIENTATIONS. HOWEVER, BLACKS AND MEXICAN-AMERICANS DID NOT CONSTITUTE A HOMOGENEOUS MINORITY, IN CONTRAST TO A HOMOGENEOUS WHITE MAJORITY. AN UNEXPECTED FINDING WAS THE HIGH LEVEL OF REPORTED POLITICAL ACTIVITY AND AWARENESS AMONG BLACK ELDERLY PERSONS. RESEARCHERS ALSO INTERVIEWED 316 ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUSINESS AND UNION LEADERS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY ELITES ON THEIR VIEWS OF AGING AND THE ELDERLY. THE INTERVIEWS REVEALED THAT DECISIONMAKERS ARE DEPENDENT ON INFORMATION ABOUT THE ELDERLY THAT IS INACCURATE AND OFTEN SELECTIVE. RESEARCHERS DREW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT ISSUES SURROUNDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY RESEARCH, INCLUDING THE NEED TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED.