Religious Trends and the 2024 Presidential Election

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Session Description

Questions of religion, race and culture are vital to understanding American politics and are linked to demographic change. America is becoming increasingly diverse along racial and ethnic lines and with respect to LGBTQ status; they are also becoming less religiously affiliated and less likely to be members of religious congregations or attend such congregations regularly. At the same time, Christian nationalism is becoming a more influential part of the political right. In this roundtable discussion, participants will discuss how such trends are related to the 2024 presidential election—and the future of American politics writ large. Drawing from recent survey data from Public Religion Research Data, particularly its American Values Atlas, which interviews more than 20,000 Americans, round table participants will consider how religious trends intersect with other identities of Americans to impact their voting behavior and political choices. Among other questions, panelists will consider:

(1) How the rise of Christian nationalism on the political right is shaping America’s vote choices
(2) how religious trends and religious practice may be reinforcing—or upending--the black vote in American politics
(3) the role and salience of LGBTQ attitudes in shaping political orientations and vote choices among Americans
(4) how growing religious disaffiliation among younger Americans is shaping their political choices
(5) how changes in religious adherence and attendance among Hispanic Americans are shaping their political identities and vote preferences
(6) how religion is shaping the role of immigration as a salient issue among voters

Sub Unit

• Division 33: Religion and Politics

Chair

• Melissa Deckman Public Religion Research Institute

Presenters

• Diana Orces Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI)

• Andra Gillespie Emory University

• Stella M. Rouse Arizona State University

• Andrew R. Flores American University