Religious Affiliation versus Religious Commitment: What Mattered Most in U.S. Presidential Elections, 2000-2012?

Abstract

The paper addresses the issue of religion in the U.S. presidential elections of 2000-2012. On the one hand, the author uses a fragmentary approach to studying the religious factor in the U.S. presidential elections, within the framework of which religion is operationalized in terms of religious affiliation. On the other hand, the author uses a systemic approach to studying the religious factor in the U.S. presidential elections, within the framework of which religion is operationalized in terms of religious commitment. The author compares and contrasts the two approaches and concludes that it is impossible to say what has mattered most in the past four U.S. presidential elections -religious affiliation or religious commitment, since each of these parameters measures religion differently and each of the models developed on the basis of these measurements reveal distinct findings and contribute differently to the understanding of the role of religion in the U.S. presidential elections.