From Politics to the Pews: How Partisanship and the Political Environment Shape Religious Identity (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

"One of the most substantial divides in American politics is the "God gap." Religious voters tend to identify with and support the Republican Party, while secular voters generally support the Democratic Party. Conventional wisdom suggests that religious differences between Republicans and Democrats have produced this gap, with voters sorting themselves into the party that best represents their religious views. Michele F. Margolis offers a bold challenge to the conventional wisdom, arguing that the relationship between religion and politics is far from a one-way street that starts in the church and ends at the ballot box. Margolis contends that political identity has a profound effect on social identity, including religion. Whether a person chooses to identify as religious and the extent of their involvement in a religious community are, in part, a response to political surroundings. In today's climate of political polarization, partisan actors also help reinforce the relationship between religion and politics, as Democratic and Republican elites stake out divergent positions on moral issues and use religious faith to varying degrees when reaching out to voters"

One of the most substantial divides in American politics is the "God gap." Religious voters tend to identify with and support the Republican Party, while secular voters generally support the Democratic Party. Conventional wisdom suggests that religious differences between Republicans and Democrats have produced this gap, with voters sorting themselves into the party that best represents their religious views.Michele F. Margolis offers a bold challenge to the conventional wisdom, arguing that the relationship between religion and politics is far from a one-way street that starts in the church and ends at the ballot box. Margolis contends that political identity has a profound effect on social identity, including religion. Whether a person chooses to identify as religious and the extent of their involvement in a religious community are, in part, a response to political surroundings. In today's climate of political polarization, partisan actors also help reinforce the relationship between religion and politics, as Democratic and Republican elites stake out divergent positions on moral issues and use religious faith to varying degrees when reaching out to voters.

Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 One. Group Identities and Politics in the United States 14 Two. Putting Things in Context: Religious and Political Attachments over Time 32 Three. A Life-Cycle Theory of Religion and Politics 52 Four. Tracking Religious Trajectories over a Lifetime 78 Five. Partisans' Religious Responses to the Political Environment 116 Six. The Religious and Political Consequences of Political Knowledge 144 Seven. Faithful Partisans: A Closer Look at African Americans 160 Eight. Generalizing the Life-Cycle Theory: A Reevaluation of the 1960 Election 192 Nine. The Religious Sort 202 Appendix 218 Notes 256 References 270 Index 298 The widespread assumption in American politics that core social identities-such as religion, race, and ethnicity-shape politics but are, themselves, largely impervious to political influence. This text challenges this conventional wisdom by looking at religion, a social identity whose political relevance is routinely discussed in both academic and non-academic circles. The work demonstrates that individuals' partisan identities, which solidify in young adulthood, can influence religious decisions later in life