One of the most pervasive terms in the field of religion and American politics is “the God Gap.” There are dozens of pieces written about it in outlets both large and small. In simple terms it’s the gap in vote choice between those who are (strongly) religious and those who do not consider religion to be an important part of their life. Or even more simply – the Republican party is the choice of the religiously devout and the Democrats are preferred by those who hardly darken a church door. We and others have already talked about how overstated this perception is – a majority of Democrats are religious and there is a substantial portion of nones in the GOP.
Oftentimes when people talk about the God Gap that focus is always on the direction of how religion drives a wedge in politics, but what about the reverse? I wanted to focus on how politics impacts what happens in churches, mosques, and synagogues every weekend in the United States. I wanted to know what would happen if all young people went to church like Republicans or if all the older folks behaved like Democrats when it came to religion. CONT.
Ryan P. Burge (Eastern Illinois U.), Religion in Public