Do the religious affiliations of elected officials shape the way they vote on such key issues as abortion, homosexuality, defense spending, taxes, and welfare spending? A panel of experts and scholars discuss the new book, Religion, Politics, and Polarization: How Religiopolitical Conflict is Changing Congress and American Democracy. The book traces the influence of religion and party affiliation in the increasingly polarized U.S. Congress over the past forty years. Throughout the book, the authors draw on key roll call votes and survey data to argue that the political ideologies of both parties have become grounded in distinctive religious visions of the good society, which in turn influence the voting patterns of elected officials.
Steven A. Tuch is professor of sociology and of public policy and public administration at The George Washington University.
Josiah R. Baker is an assistant professor of financial economics at Methodist University and an adjunct associate professor of economics and geography at George Mason University.
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