Christian Conservatives' Clout On The Rise

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, June 25) -- A new study shows that some 25 percent of registered voters today are white evangelical Protestants conservatives, up from 19 percent in 1987. And, religious conservatives are more apt to favor church activism in politics than in the past.

"The conservatism of white evangelical Protestants is clearly the most powerful religious force in politics today," concludes the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Some six out of seven voting-age Americans are Christian, according to the survey of 1,975 randomly selected adults (+/- 3 percentage points error margin). Catholics and white non-evangelical Protestants each make up around 25 percent of the electorate, and black Christians (heavily Democratic) figure about 8 percent. Jews comprise two percent and are also predominantly Democratic.

What makes evangelical Christians so powerful, Pew found, was their consistency on the issues. "The fact that this group expresses a consistent set of conservative political attitudes and is extremely active politically makes evangelicals Christians a powerful voting bloc," the report states.

They're more apt to vote than other groups. With priorities going beyond core moral concerns over abortion and homosexuality, two-thirds of self-proclaimed religious conservatives are likely to vote, versus roughly half of all Americans. They'd choose presumptive GOP nominee Robert Dole over President Bill Clinton 60 percent to 36 percent, Pew found.

Another trend identified in the report shows religious conservatives are more comfortable with church involvement in political activism. Whereas in 1965, 53 percent said churches should stay out of politics (40 percent favored church activism), today some 54 percent want their parish to "express their views on day-to-day social and political questions."

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Christian Conservatives' Clout On The Rise

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