ABSTRACT
As in the first half of the twentieth century, the success of reconstructive coalitions helped determine changes in Catholic standing at the end of twentieth century. The reconstructive coalition explanation focuses on coalitions in which there is an identity that bridges minority groups with majority groups under the umbrella of a more embracing identity. Incorporation as Christian conservatives helped improve Catholic standing. In particular, Catholics are overrepresented in political office much more in the United States than in Australia; there is less information available from Canada. Catholic voting behavior bears out these trends. The Catholic vote for right-leaning parties has been much more advanced in Australia and the United States than in Canada. The institutional conditions that helped make pan-Christian coalitions possible include elements such as preference voting, previous settlements on public funding of Catholic schools, and the presence of strong regional identities that can cross-cut the national significance of potential moral issues.
