Religion, the Neglected Variable: An Agenda for Future Research on Religion and Political Behavior

Religion matters. It matters politically. That is the thesis of this volume. Religion matters, it seems, regardless of how it is conceptualized: whether in terms of social group affiliation, religious group identification, ritualistic or private devotional practices, doctrinal beliefs, salience, or religious worldviews. Despite multivariate controls, each of these variables has an independent impact on political attitudes and behaviors. And this is the case even though the measures are often methodologically flawed.