Released: June 25, 1996 The Diminishing Divide...American
Churches, American Politics Introduction and Summary Religion is
a strong and growing force in the way Americans think about
politics. It has a bearing on political affiliation, political
values, policy attitudes and candidate choice. Its increasing
influence on political opinion and behavior rivals factors such
as race, region, age, social class and gender. More
specifically, religion has a strong impact on the political
views of Christian Americans who represent 84% of the voting age
population. Christian political conservatism is associated with
every religious dimension covered in The Pew Research Center For
The People & The Press survey. Regardless of denomination,
people who express more faith are more conservative. People who
engage in more religious practices are more conservative. Those
who say religion plays a very important role in their lives are
more conservative. The Center’s polling finds indications that
religious influences lead to a m