Income, Religion and Politics
Monday November 5, 2007
These charts from the Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science blog at Columbia University suggest that people in wealthier states both voted Democratic in the last presidential election and were at or below average on a scale reflecting church attendance.
People in "poorer" states were more likely to have voted Republican in 2004 and to attend church above more than average.
The researchers developed the US plots after reading about a Pew Global study referenced in the NY Times. The Pew study suggested that, on average, people in poorer countries are more religious than those in wealthier countries (emphasis added).
Global publics are sharply divided over the relationship between religion and morality. In much of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, there is a strong consensus that belief in God is necessary for morality and good values. Throughout much of Europe, however, majorities think morality is achievable without faith. Meanwhile, opinions are more mixed in the Americas, including in the United States, where 57% say that one must believe in God to have good values and be moral, while 41% disagree.
The survey finds a strong relationship between a country's religiosity and its economic status. In poorer nations, religion remains central to the lives of individuals, while secular perspectives are more common in richer nations. This relationship generally is consistent across regions and countries, although there are some exceptions, including most notably the United States, which is a much more religious country than its level of prosperity would indicate. Other nations deviate from the pattern as well, including the oil-rich, predominantly Muslim -- and very religious -- kingdom of Kuwait.
Kevin Drum at Washington Monthly wrote about the Pew report last month.
A reminder that correlation is not the same thing as causation!
Also, see Politics and Religion: A Must Read and the book God Willing? Political Fundamentalism in the White House, The "War On Terror," and The Echoing Press (2004) by Dr. David Domke. [Buy This Book]
Comments
I believe (he he) that religion is a two ways factor. Religion is the refuge of the hopeless (Marx used to say, quite rightly: “people’s opium”). For this reason, poor countries correlate hugely with religious people. But there is, I think another way, which is religion as a motivation. Reformed Christians have a completely different approach to wealth than most other religions (except maybe Judaism and some forms of Islam). Wealth is seen as a sign of predestination, or God’s earthly reward for a strong faith. The USA (but also the Netherlands, Switzerland and Scandinavian countries) gather many religious people who are actually wealthy.
This kind of cocktail can be, imho, very dangerous when wealth, power and faith mix in a fanatic way: US right wing conservatives, Saudi rich fanatics like the Bin Laden, etc.
Alphast, what do you mean by “reformed Christians”?
I don’t know of a religion that treats material wealth like a reward for faith. Individuals, perhaps.
What am I missing?
Sorry. I was unclear in my comment. by reformed Christians, I mean non-Catholics Christians (Lutherians, Calvinists, etc.). The ones Catholics called Protestants.
I don’t really mean that Protestants see material wealth as a reward for faith. I actually meant that in their mentality, wealth, social accomplishment and status is unconsciously seen as a sign of God’s favor. Hence, being rich is also being “good”.
Uspolitics: To add to Alphast’s comment, after the Reformation (Martin Luther), the idea of hard work as a sign of devotion to God became more prominent. Protestants and Puritans who came to America in the 17th century saw moderation, sobriety, and hard work as the highest values, contributing to a strong individual character and the benefit of society. As a result, wealth was seen as proof that one was fulfilling his religious duty; prosperity was seen as a sign of God’s favor (see Crèvecoeur, Letters from an American Farmer). This concept, differing from Catholicism, may have a lot to do with why America (and Scandinavia, etc) are both religious and hard-working. The idea is commonly referred to as the Protestant Work Ethic.
Thank you, Erin!
I am familiar with the phrase “Protestant Work Ethic” but I was not familiar with its origins. That root makes the extension of equating “wealth” with “being a good Christian” a logical one.
Kathy
Kathy