First Podcast Explores Religion in U.S. Politics |
Does religion matter in U.S. politics? If it does, has its influence on politics changed over the years? These questions and others are examined in “A Matter of Faith? The Past, Present, and Future of Religion in U.S. Politics,” the first podcast in a series. David Campbell, University of Notre Dame, author of the book, A Matter of Faith: Religion in the 2004 Presidential Election, chaired this thought-provoking roundtable presented at the 2007 MPSA National Conference. Also adding their expertise were Larry Bartels, Princeton University, Byron Shafer, University of Wisconsin, Corwin Smidt, Calvin College, and Eric Uslaner, University of Maryland.
Religion in the 2004 Presidential Elections. Campbell examines how the issue of same-sex marriage was treated by the Republican and the Democratic Parties during the 2004 presidential election campaign in states where it was a ballot initiative. While the issue was never mentioned in television ads sponsored by either party, he notes, both addressed it subtly in targeted direct mail campaigns. Campbell analyzes images and words in printed matter and compares the voting behaviors of people who reported they were “born again” and people who reported no religious affiliation in these states.
What We Know and Don’t Know. Bartels addresses methodological issues in the research and identifies aspects that are understudied. He also discusses what is known about the influence of religion on politics, debunking some popular misconceptions. For example, in spite of the perception that religion is sweeping the country, Bartels notes that 2004 NES data indicate self-reports of church attendance were at their lowest levels in the history of the study. The difference in voting behavior between people who said they attended church regularly and those who said they did not was modest from 1972 to 1988, but it widened in 1992 and then stabilized again. The gap remains unexplained, according to Bartels, who speculates that it may have been caused by the behavior of people who are less religious.
Roots of Religion in American Politics. Religious influence on American politics has substantive and organizational roots, according to Shafer. Substantively, religious theologies have specific beliefs, such as respect for life, that influence politics. Theologies have organizing values, such as s crime and punishment, and assumptions about human behavior, such as original sin, that also influence politics. Organizationally, religions provide churches that create religious elites, he says, who can articulate values and knit them to the policy implications. Shafer points to Great Awakenings in American Protestantism that tended inchoately to seek out political issues, for example, independence after the 1750s and moral renewal after the 1970s.
Unique Role of Religion in U.S. Politics. For Smidt, the role of religion in American politics is relatively unique due to three factors: 1) Its relative vitality in the U.S. compared with other countries; 2) More opportunities and certain incentives to involve religious groups in politics; and 3) The role of immigration and pluralism. The way religious traditions have aligned themselves with the two major political parties have changed, Smidt says. Today, there is an increasing polarization of thought in terms of how to apply religious traditions to contemporary circumstances. Understanding the way religion affects politics is better studied, he says, by examining religious beliefs and behavior than by looking at people’s religious affiliations.
Jewish Voting Behavior in the 2004 Presidential Elections. Using survey data from the National Jewish Democratic Council, Uslaner finds that two unrelated issues of Jewish identity played a role in their voting behavior in 2004: 1) the salience of Israel, which the Democrats have always owned, and 2) the Jewish reaction to evangelicals. Although the Republican Party emphasized their strong support for Israel in an attempt to win a larger share of the Jewish vote, Uslaner says the attempt failed: The party lost approximately as many votes as it gained due to Jewish voters’ negative reactions to the party’s evangelical base. Uslaner explains these findings.
To listen to the entire roundtable, click here.