Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Political Science Publications

2013

Religion

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Politics Of Denying Communion To Catholic Elected Officials, William D. Blake, Amanda Friesen Dec 2013

The Politics Of Denying Communion To Catholic Elected Officials, William D. Blake, Amanda Friesen

Political Science Publications

In his 2004 presidential campaign, John Kerry, a Catholic, was threatened with being denied Holy Communion because of his pro-choice voting record. This article investigates the extent to which communion denial impacted Catholic elected officials and analyzes public attitudes regarding communion denial for Kerry. The results of our analysis suggest that, despite heavy media coverage, few bishops endorsed the communion denial and few pro-choice Catholic officials were threatened. While the data also indicate there are meaningful political implications for public attitudes on communion denial, the tactic does not command support from many Catholics.


Religion, Politics, And The Social Capital Of Children, Amanda Friesen Jul 2013

Religion, Politics, And The Social Capital Of Children, Amanda Friesen

Political Science Publications

Using a national data set, this study demonstrates that religious traditionalism and political conservatism are positively related to family size and the interactions between these measures result in increased political participation. Combining the social capital of children and religiosity, these findings suggest that choosing to have more children may be based on beliefs about traditional gender roles and the importance of family in society, which in turn result in political engagement around these issues.