RELIGION AND POLITICAL-BEHAVIOR IN THE UNITED-STATES - THE IMPACT OF BELIEFS, AFFILIATIONS, AND COMMITMENT FROM 1980 TO 1994

This article examines the influence of a new religious cleavage define d by the orthodoxy of religious beliefs, affiliations, and practices o n American political behavior. With data pooled from the American Nati onal Election Studies from 1980 through 1994, it tests the hypothesis that the political impact of doctrinal orthodoxy, religious commitment , and Protestant denominational orthodoxy is growing and becoming grea ter than that of the traditional divisions between Christians and Jews and Catholics and Protestants. The results indicate that, even contro lling for a wide range of religious, sociodemographic, and political v ariables, the influence of doctrinal conservatism on partisanship and presidential vote choice is growing over time. The relationship betwee n the orthodoxy of Protestant denominations and political behavior als o has changed considerably, with members of evangelical denominations becoming increasingly Republican relative to their counterparts in mai nline denominations. The impact of religious commitment on presidentia l vote choice also is growing, with very committed individuals becomin g increasingly more likely than their less religious counterparts to v ote Republican. The analysis demonstrates that the political differenc es between religious ''conservatives'' and religious ''liberals'' are beginning to rival those between Christians and Jews and Catholics and Protestants.