Demand for God and Government: A Dynamic Model of Religion and Politics

Abstract

We explore the relationship between the public's religiosity and the public's demand for more government over the past fifty years. We argue that public opinion and religiosity both reflect the demands of the citizenry for goods in the face of insecurity, and therefore, they should move together over time. Using a dynamic time series approach, we find that in periods of higher religiosity, demand from government increases. We also find evidence of reciprocal causation, that a more liberal public is a more religious one. Our findings shed new light on the role of religion in U.S. politics, and they offer a new understanding of the dynamics of public opinion change.

Keywords: Religion, Public Opinion, Public Policy Mood, Religiosity