Losing the Faith, Gaining the Vote: How Religious Exodus Impacts Voter Behavior

• In Event: Electoral Shifts among Key Constituencies

Abstract

Religious “nones” are the fastest growing religious group in the US, with the majority of growth coming from disaffiliation with Christianity. While literature suggests that the unaffiliated become less politically engaged, there is reason to suspect this is no longer the case, particularly as more Americans lose not only affiliation but religious belief as well. This project utilizes both time series and panel data to assess changes in political behavior among those who disaffiliate from religion in tandem with a more qualitative look at the differences between religious loss among conservative white christian churches and liberal Black christian churches in the American South. Ultimately, this project adds understanding to the changing politics of what will soon be the largest religious denomination in the US: religious “nones”.

Author

• Matthew Easton, UC Berkeley