Religious Voting in Western Democracies

This book explores the role of religion and religiosity in electoral politics in Catholic, Protestant, and religiously mixed countries across Western Europe and the United States, using a variety of approaches and datasets. It shows that religiosity remains relevant when casting votes and that the traditional notion of religious cleavage should be replaced with the more accurate idea of religious voting.

Format: Hardback
Length: 736 pages
Publication date: 06 July 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate relationship between religion and religiosity in electoral politics across Catholic, Protestant, and religiously mixed countries in Western Europe and the United States. The chapters explore the multifaceted dynamics between religion, religiosity, and voter behavior from diverse perspectives, employing a range of analytical approaches. These include examinations of secularization trends, comparative studies of the connections between vote choice and religiosity, longitudinal single-country studies, and a groundbreaking discussion of the theoretical foundations of the politicization of religion, offering a novel framework for analyzing the role of religiosity in election studies.

The volume compellingly demonstrates that religiosity continues to hold significant importance in shaping voter preferences, challenging the assumptions of secularization theory. Moreover, it advocates for replacing the traditional notion of religious cleavage with the more accurate concept of religious voting, recognizing the nuanced ways in which religious beliefs and values influence political choices.

The chapters draw upon extensive datasets from National Election Studies and comparative studies such as European Values Studies (EVS), European Social Surveys (ESS), and European Election Studies (EES) to empirically test prevailing expectations regarding religious voting. The results reveal that variations in religious voting are contingent upon the actions of political and ecclesiastical leaders in politicizing religious issues, as well as the legacies of previous societal and political religious conflicts, irrespective of whether the initial party system exhibited a predominant religious cleavage.

This book is a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the complex interplay between religion, religiosity, and electoral politics in contemporary societies. Its systematic exploration and insightful analysis provide valuable insights into the dynamics that shape religious participation in the democratic process and its implications for political outcomes.

Weight: 1114g
Dimension: 243 x 160 x 45 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198807858