Mediating Religion And Government: Political Institutions And The Policy Process (palgrave Studies In Religion, Politics, And Policy)

A generation ago, many social scientists regarded religion as an anachronism, whose social, economic, and political importance would inevitably wane and disappear in the face of the inexorable forces of modernity. Of course, nothing of the sort has occurred; indeed, the public role of religion is resurgent in US domestic politics, in other nations, and in the international arena. Today, religion is widely acknowledged to be a key variable in candidate nominations, platforms, and elections; it is recognized as a major influence on domestic and foreign policies. National religious movements as diverse as the Christian Right in the United States and the Taliban in Afghanistan are important factors in the internal politics of particular nations. Moreover, such transnational religious actors as Al-Qaida, Falun Gong, and the Vatican have had important effects on the politics and policies of nations around the world. "The empirical study of religion and politics emerged as a strongly behavioral sub-discipline within political science within the late 20th Century. Particularly in the American context, scholars have placed tremendous emphasis on religion's influence on political attitudes and behaviors. As a result, we have a much better understanding of the potency of religion in shaping voting patterns, party affiliation, and views of public policy, among other behavioral aspects of American politics. In the context of a democracy, however, political institutions mediate the effect of religion on political attitudes and the policy process. In a Madisonian sense, institutions are at the fulcrum of mass politics and policy outputs. This volume investigates the influence of religion on and within political institutions. Each chapter provides a synthesis of the literature with respect to a particular institution and makes an original research contribution to the literature. By addressing the historical, contemporary, constitutional, and policy-based elements of religious interactions within politics, the volume creates a wide-ranging assessment of the sometimes contentious relationship between these two pillars of American culture. "-- "The central argument of this volume is that the influence of religion on politics and policy in the United States is mediated by and through political institutions such as Congress, the presidency, the courts, and bureaucracy. The great 20th century social movements, such as Prohibition and the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans, were informed by religious values and interests brought into the public square. But those values and interests are channeled and re-shaped by the process of policy-making itself. Political institutions are not merely ciphers for religious impulses. They provide the rules and context under which religious and secular interests seek policy influence. In order to fully understand this dynamic, we must look to the political institutions that make, implement, and interpret policy. The volume elaborates on this process by highlighting individual institutions with each chapter"-- The study of religion and politics is a strongly behavioral sub-discipline, and within the American context, scholars place tremendous emphasis on its influence on political attitudes and behaviors, resultuing in a better understanding of religion's ability to shape voting patterns, party affiliation, and views of public policy. The empirical study of religion and politics emerged as a strongly behavioral sub-discipline within political science within the late 20th Century. Particularly in the American context, scholars have placed tremendous emphasis on religion's influence on political attitudes and behaviors. As a result, we have a much better understanding of the potency of religion in shaping voting patterns, party affiliation, and views of public policy, among other behavioral aspects of American politics. In the context of a democracy, however, political institutions mediate the effect of religion on political attitudes and the policy process. In a Madisonian sense, institutions are at the fulcrum of mass politics and policy outputs. This volume investigates the influence of religion on and within political institutions. Each chapter provides a synthesis of the literature with respect to a particular institution and makes an original research contribution to the literature. By addressing the historical, contemporary, constitutional, and policy-based elements of religious interactions within politics, the volume creates a wide-ranging assessment of the sometimes contentious relationship between these two pillars of American culture "This important new volume injects a much-needed institutionalist perspective into the study of religion and politics, pushing the boundaries of how we study the intersection beyond the usual focus on mass-level political attitudes and behaviors. The book is accessibly written while also having the potential to generate many new and exciting research questions for scholars." - Laura R. Olson, Centennial Professor, Clemson University, USA "This volume addresses an important and under-explored question in the field of religion and politics: how religion shapes the governing institutions that ultimately determine whether and how religiously-derived preferences are reflected in public policy. Its contributions are diverse but thematically unified, shedding light on the role of religion in all three branches of government along with interest groups, political parties, and the states. The den Dulk and Oldmixon collection is an invaluable companion to the manifold studies of religion and political behavior that have emerged over the last twenty years." - Matthew Wilson, Associate Professor, Southern Methodist University, USA Front Matter....Pages i-xi An Institutionalist Perspective on Religion and Politics....Pages 1-14 Political Rhetoric and Institutional Structures: Religious Advocacy in the US Congress....Pages 15-37 Religious Market Interest Groups: Do They Sing with an Upper Class Accent?....Pages 39-57 Religion and Political Parties: Mediation in the Mass Party Era....Pages 59-82 Serving God by Shaping Law: Religious Legal Advocacy in the United States....Pages 83-107 Religion in the American Congress: The Case of the US House of Representatives, 1953–2013....Pages 109-134 The Importance of Religion to Understanding the Modern Presidency....Pages 135-155 Regulating Religion: Bureaucracies, Faith-Based Organizations, and Constitutional Limits....Pages 157-186 Religious Actors in State Political Institutions....Pages 187-208 Explaining Religious Violence across Countries: An Institutional Approach....Pages 209-240 Conclusion: Religious Politics, Pluralism, and the US Constitution....Pages 241-254 Back Matter....Pages 255-264 "The central argument of this volume is that the influence of religion on politics and policy in the United States is mediated by and through political institutions such as Congress, the presidency, the courts, and bureaucracy. The great 20th century social movements, such as Prohibition and the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans, were informed by religious values and interests brought into the public square. But those values and interests are channeled and re-shaped by the process of policy-making itself. Political institutions are not merely ciphers for religious impulses. They provide the rules and context under which religious and secular interests seek policy influence. In order to fully understand this dynamic, we must look to the political institutions that make, implement, and interpret policy. The volume elaborates on this process by highlighting individual institutions with each chapter"-- Provided by publisher