Welfare Provision by Religious Organizations and Expectations about the State

• In Event: Non-state Welfare and Identity in the Global South

Abstract

How does the provision of club goods and services by religious organizations impact preferences towards state-led redistribution and trust in state institutions? In this study, I focus on the context of Brazil, where Evangelical churches are becoming increasingly important sources of welfare provision. I hypothesize that in this context, reliance on goods and services provided by Evangelical churches impacts how congregants perceive the state and its redistributive functions. I bring evidence from several sources to investigate this question. First, I describe the type of goods and services provided by Evangelical churches based on in-depth interviews and focus groups with Evangelical bishops and congregants. Second, I leverage secondary observational data and an original panel survey to examine how engagement with Evangelical religious groups changes with economic conditions and what are the related consequences for preferences towards state-led redistribution and trust in state institutions.

Author

• Paula Rettl, Harvard Business School