Disciplines
• Political Science
• Public Policy
Civic participation: Social capital
research shows a strong connection between
voting and participation in civic events such
as religious activity. Research through the
Center could examine such connections as well
as how religion plays a role in shaping public
opinion in the political sphere. Topics such
as abortion and stem cell research are well
known, but religious believers also often
have strong opinions on topics such as the
minimum wage, immigration, welfare reform,
the death penalty and social justice issues
such as poverty. The media have been accused
of classifying religious voters as left- or
right-wing, but often those within the same
faith fall on different sides of the spectrum
depending on the issue. Also interesting for
study is the use of the church platform as
a means of fund-raising and campaigning.
Politicians and religion:
The visibility of politicians' religion
has become part of the process of elections.
How a presidential candidate answers the
question of religion, for example, can influence
how a voter thinks about that candidate,
as well as his or her platform. In 2004
the talk was about how Republicans owned
the issues of religion and values, but many
so-called "values voters" voted
Democratic in 2006, leading to questions
about how much religious affiliation wins
certain voters, and when policy, platforms
and records begin to trump those affiliations.
Some would argue that politicians are too
entrenched in religion to serve their constituencies
well, though other questions have also been
raised, such as the connection between a
politician's religious values and actual
policy. Religious conservatives have been
accused of having too much connection between
those two, whereas others have been decried
for their hypocrisy in terms of corruption.
The U.S. is also seeing
more religious diversity among politicians.
Much has changed since 1960, when President
John F. Kennedy faced concern during his
campaign over whether he could be Catholic
and the President. In 2006, Minnesota Democrat
Keith Ellison was elected the first Muslim
in the U.S. Congress. In early 2007, Massachusetts
governor and Mormon Mitt Romney announced
plans for a possible presidential run (though
he would not be the first Mormon to run
for president - Joseph Smith, founder of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, made an unsuccessful bid in 1844).
Politicians' religious affiliations may
at times be controversial, but Americans
have long favored presidents with a religious
persuasion. A recent Newsweek poll found
that only 37 percent of Americans said they'd
be willing to vote for an atheist for president
- down from 49 percent in a 1999 Gallup
poll.
Government policy:
One of the critical questions in First Amendment
law is how much influence the Founding Fathers
intended religion to have in public policy.
The historical religious background of the
Founders is also one that has been intensely
studied and debated. These issues are the
core of many debates in this country, such
as whether the government ought to allow
- or enforce - prayer in public schools.
Other issues involve prayer at public meetings
or recent court orders to remove the Ten
Commandments from courtrooms. In 2000 there
was much debate over government funding
of faith-based initiatives. The latest debate
is whether the government should fund stem-cell
research, which comes with an array of ethical
issues for many religious believers and
others. Research with the Center could look
at such issues, helping to understand the
religious influences of public policy. In
addition, the Center's position in the School
of Journalism could look at coverage of
those debates and ethical issues in terms
of influence.
International issues:
Public opinion concerning the conflicts
in Iraq and Darfur have religious contexts
to them, both for those suffering in those
conflicts and also the way in which those
here in the United States think about those
conflicts. Understanding the patterns of
thinking that cause conflict is useful for
those interested in political science. Researchers
could also look at faith and how it interacts
with public policy because of news media
coverage. Religion also has influence in
other arenas, including the support Israel
has from many American evangelicals and
how this could be a possible cause for escalation
in the war on terror.
Public life: The
terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, have
given researchers more areas to examine
in light of the religious context behind
those events. Attitudes toward Muslims in
America are worthy of study in light of
the news context in which those events occurred.
Examining issues involving hate crimes,
civil liberties, religious profiling and
national security policy are worthwhile
in today's political climate. In addition,
examining the role religion has played in
helping Americans cope with the attacks
is vital and useful in understanding the
organizing role religion plays in U.S. society.
First
Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion &
Public Life
Religion,
State & Society
Journal
of Law & Religion
Religion & Public Life
Religion & the Public Order
Palestine-Israel
Journal of Politics, Economics & Culture
Journal
of Church & State
University
of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion,
Gender & Class
Journal
for the Scientific Study of Religion
American
Academy of Religion Syllabi Search
Religion
and Politics
Professor H. Obayashi
Rutgers University
Association of Muslim Social Scientists of North America
Christ Ambassadors Association
Christian Academics
Christians in Political Science
• See a full list of professional associations and resources here.
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