Weekly Quiz #4
Once again, the Pew research engine has released a hugely important study on American attitudes. This time on the mix of religion and politics, from the Pew Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
We scarcely know where to begin in commenting on the importance of this data to political and non-profit marketers, whether you are promoting political candidates, social issues (from abortion rights to immigration reform), the environment, or just about any cause.
Just skimming the surface:
- The 11% of Americans who identify themselves as members of the “religious right” share core religious beliefs as well as crystallized and consistently conservative political attitudes, making them a strong political force.
- In contrast, the 32% of Americans who identify as “liberal or progressive Christians” come from a broad range of religious traditions and are as likely to disagree as often as they agree on key political and social issues, making them a non-entity in political terms.
- Americans are narrowly divided on whether religion's influence on government is increasing or decreasing, while 59% say that religion's influence on the country is declining, and overwhelmingly, Americans favor more, not less, religion in the country.
- Fully 67% of Americans characterize the U.S. as a Christian nation.
- Those who attend religious services at least monthly report that their clergy address these issues: poverty (92%), abortion (59%), Iraq (53%), laws regarding homosexuality (52%), environment (48%), evolution/intelligent design (40%), death penalty (31%), stem cell research (24%), immigration (21%).
- 47% regard the Republican Party as being friendly to religion; 26% regard the Democratic Party as friendly to religion.
Now to our quiz …
Behavioral Science Q & A
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