Overview As Americans head to the polls this November, their values and basic beliefs are more polarized along partisan lines than at any point in the past 25 years. Unlike in 1987, when this series of surveys began, the values gap between Republicans and Democrats is now greater than gender, age, race or class divides. […]
The latest Pew Research Center polling shows that Obama has strong support from black Protestants and the religiously unaffiliated, while Romney holds a lead among white evangelicals and white Catholics. The complete report includes general election preferences by religion and by gender within religious groups as well as voters' views on which issues are very important in deciding who to vote for this fall
In the Maryland and Wisconsin primaries, Romney and Santorum ran neck and neck among white born-again/evangelical voters, while Romney was the clear favorite of non-evangelical voters. Romney was also victorious among Wisconsin voters who attend religious services only occasionally and those who attach little importance to having a candidate who shares their religious beliefs.
Rick Santorum got his first clear victory among Catholics in Saturday's Louisiana primary in addition to winning among white evangelical Christians, people who attend worship services weekly and voters who say it is at least somewhat important to have a candidate who shares their religious beliefs.
According to a survey of professional prison chaplains, America’s state penitentiaries are a bustle of religious activity. Chaplains say that efforts by inmates to convert other inmates are common and that at least some religious switching occurs. And chaplains overwhelmingly consider religion-based programming an important aspect of rehabilitating prisoners.
Exit polling from the Illinois Republican primary shows that Romney continues to draw less support from white born-again/evangelical voters than from non-evangelicals, while Santorum has yet to secure an outright victory among Catholic voters in any state for which data are available.
A new survey finds signs of public uneasiness with the mixing of religion and politics. The number of people who say there has been too much religious talk by political leaders stands at an all-time high in Pew Research Center surveys, and most Americans continue to say that churches and other houses of worship should keep out of politics.
With a Mormon candidate in the race for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, there has been intense media, academic and public interest in Mormons and their religion. The Pew Forum recently held a roundtable discussion with journalists, scholars and policy experts on some of the latest research on Mormons and their place in American society and public life.
Santorum won narrow victories in both the Alabama and Mississippi Republican primaries, but exit polling shows there was no clear winner among white born-again/evangelical voters in either state.
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About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
