Americans’ support for transgender rights has declined. Here’s why. Kelsy Burke and Emily Kazyak - November 7, 2022 The culture war over transgender rights is part of a fight over competing notions of gender and sexuality, including issues like abortion and sex education
In Northern Ireland, Catholics now outnumber Protestants. That’s a first. Laurence Cooley and John Coakley - October 4, 2022 But look closely and you’ll find a more complicated picture. What does that mean for prospects of a United Ireland?
The new Supreme Court doctrine against religious discrimination Andrew Lewis - July 6, 2022 Conservative justices favor religious liberty over the separation of church and state.
Evangelicals opposed abortion long before their leaders caught up Neil O’Brian - May 17, 2022 Before Roe v. Wade, Catholic leaders were more vocal about their opposition — but rank-and-file evangelicals mostly agreed with them.
A Sinn Fein win in Northern Ireland could bring big changes Kimberly Cowell-Meyers and Carolyn Gallaher - May 5, 2022 What might happen to political power sharing — and calls for Irish reunification?
Why did Sen. Graham grill Ketanji Brown Jackson about her religious faith? Matthew Dahl - March 24, 2022 Research suggests that religion doesn’t influence judges’ decisions.
A new bill in Congress would end ‘legacy’ college preferences. Here’s why that matters. Jasmine Harris - February 14, 2022 ‘Legacy’ admissions were introduced to keep elite schools White. My research finds that that’s hurting Black and Brown students today.
Catholic clerics struggle to avoid partisan politics. Evangelical leaders dive right in. Why the difference? L. Felipe Mantilla - July 20, 2021 It’s all about hierarchy and its absence.
Ulster loyalists are burning buses and cars in Belfast, thanks to Brexit Kimberly Cowell-Meyers and Carolyn Gallaher - April 13, 2021 Here’s how the U.K. decision to leave the E.U. upset Northern Ireland’s fragile peace
Mitch McConnell once knew all about the filibuster’s racist history. What changed? Saladin Ambar - March 29, 2021 We know from his own writings that McConnell is aware of the filibuster’s ‘racial history’
Biden is pursuing a pathway to citizenship. He will face two key challenges. Romelia M. Solano - January 29, 2021 One challenge: inclusion of immigrants who don’t fit prevailing norms of deservingness.
Biden ended the Muslim travel ban. A much tougher problem persists. Brian Calfano, Nazita Lajevardi, and Melissa R. Michelson - January 26, 2021 American Muslims continue to face bias, even when they uphold democratic ideals
George Floyd’s killing is changing how some white evangelicals talk about race Nancy D. Wadsworth - August 10, 2020 Here’s the history to this shift.
Police reforms helped bring peace to Northern Ireland Kimberly Cowell-Meyers and Carolyn Gallaher - June 17, 2020 Crime rates have dropped. And many Catholics no longer see the police as a hostile force.
After 3 years, Northern Ireland’s legislators have finally gone back to work. What happened? Kimberly Cowell-Meyers and Carolyn Gallaher - January 17, 2020 Here’s what brought Sinn Fein and the Unionists back together — and what could tear them apart again.
White evangelicals fear atheists and Democrats would strip away their rights. Why? Paul Djupe - December 23, 2019 Right-wing media is warning of a civil war — and urging evangelicals to stock up on guns
After Brexit, will Northern Ireland return to violence? Dieter Reinisch - December 4, 2019 A resurgent IRA might not be the real danger.
Catholic leaders in the Amazon are talking about ‘ecological conversion.’ Here’s what this means. Amy Erica Smith - November 12, 2019 The Amazon Synod also proposed allowing married deacons to become priests.
Northern Ireland’s Troubles began 50 years ago. Here’s why they were so violent. Joseph M. Brown and Gordon C. McCord - August 21, 2019 Catholics and Protestants lived side by side — but with very few shared social or economic ties
Here’s why Ebola has been so hard to contain in Eastern Congo Laura Seay and Kim Yi Dionne - June 24, 2019 Levels of citizens’ mistrust shape how they respond to the epidemic.
Northern Ireland’s peace was already in trouble. Brexit is making things harder to fix. Kimberly Cowell-Meyers and Carolyn Gallaher - May 1, 2019 Can Lyra McKee’s shooting bring everyone back to the negotiating table?
How Trump has changed white evangelicals’ views about morality Geoffrey Layman and David Campbell - April 24, 2019 So what if Mayor Pete Buttigieg calls him a “porn star president”?
Once, the ‘Judeo-Christian tradition’ united Americans. Now it divides them. Anna Grzymala-Busse - April 17, 2019 The Judeo-Christian tradition has become a partisan catchphrase.
Sorry, President Trump. Here’s why American Jews aren’t abandoning the Democratic Party. Michael Tesler - March 21, 2019 These three factors mean a “Jexodus” is unlikely any time soon.
Not all Christian leaders in Africa are opposed to LGBTQ inclusion Sarah K. Dreier - March 6, 2019 There’s more to the story of the drama in the Methodist church.
Human rights workers are getting killed in Colombia. Here’s what could help save the peace. Shauna Gillooly and Kelebogile Zvobgo - February 11, 2019 Just over two years ago, the Colombian government and the
The politics of assisted reproduction, explained Heather Mohamed and Erin Heidt-Forsythe - May 13, 2018 [caption id="attachment_46700" align="aligncenter" width="960"] (iStock)[/caption] This Mother’s Day, many women
How Brexit could kill Northern Ireland’s peace accords Kimberly Cowell-Meyers and Carolyn Gallaher - April 20, 2018 [caption id="attachment_70043" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A billboard in West Belfast, shown Dec.
20 years after the Good Friday Agreement, few people recognize how Northern Ireland’s religious leaders helped bring peace Nukhet Sandal - April 10, 2018 [caption id="attachment_71995" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Fein chief
Despite porn stars and Playboy models, white evangelicals aren’t rejecting Trump. This is why. Samuel Perry, Joseph Baker, and Andrew Whitehead - March 26, 2018 A porn actress says she had sex with Donald Trump,
Abortion taught conservative Christians to argue for minority rights — as they’re doing today in Masterpiece Cakeshop. Andrew Lewis - December 5, 2017 When is a wedding cake not just a cake, but
Confederate flags and Nazi swastikas together? That’s new. Here’s what it means. Steven White - August 14, 2017 At the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville over the weekend,
This is what we can learn from Joseph Kony’s bodyguard Laura Seay - July 21, 2017 [caption id="attachment_61206" align="aligncenter" width="192"] (Zed Books)[/caption] Five years after the
Some argue that the West should limit democracy to save liberalism. Here’s why they’re wrong. Sheri Berman - July 18, 2017 [caption id="attachment_61040" align="alignnone" width="960"] Demonstrators gathered to protest Islamic law
A record number of LGBTQ people were just elected to the British Parliament Andrew Reynolds - June 11, 2017 [caption id="attachment_59644" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] (Andrew Cowie/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)[/caption]
A tiny party of hardliners holds the balance of power in Britain. Here’s what you need to know Henry Farrell - June 9, 2017 [caption id="attachment_59560" align="aligncenter" width="960"] British newspapers on Friday tout the
How fights over Trump have led evangelicals to leave their churches Paul Djupe, Jacob Neiheisel, and Anand Sokhey - April 11, 2017 [caption id="attachment_56671" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Pastor Joshua Nink, right, prays for
Muslims are the least popular religious group in the U.S. They’re disliked even more than atheists. Kerem Kalkan - February 23, 2017 [caption id="attachment_54549" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Khizr Khan, whose son, Humayun S.M.
Trump’s immigration order means bureaucrats have to decide who’s a “real” Christian Elizabeth Hurd - February 8, 2017 [caption id="attachment_53758" align="aligncenter" width="960"] People protest President Trump's travel ban
What 4 types of American nationalism can tell us about Trump voters Paul DiMaggio and Bart Bonikowski - February 6, 2017 [caption id="attachment_53637" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A woman gives a thumbs-up to
Yes, signing those petitions makes a difference — even if they don’t change Trump’s mind Daniel Carpenter - February 3, 2017 [caption id="attachment_53545" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A young girl uses protest signs
Catholics like the European Union more than Protestants do. This is why. Sam Winter-Levy and Nikita Lalwani - January 12, 2017 [caption id="attachment_42786" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A European Union flag, with a
The U.S. needs a new approach to counterinsurgency. This is what it can learn from El Salvador. Sam Winter-Levy and Nikita Lalwani - December 7, 2016 [caption id="attachment_50556" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Al-Nusra Front fighters in the town
Two of the most prominent arguments for the electoral college are completely wrong George Edwards - November 18, 2016 [caption id="attachment_49740" align="aligncenter" width="960"] People protest against President-elect Donald Trump
When evangelical clergy oppose Trump, their flocks listen. But they’re not speaking up. Paul Djupe, Andrew Lewis, Anand Sokhey, and Amanda Friesen - November 4, 2016 [caption id="attachment_48917" align="aligncenter" width="960"] (iStock)[/caption] Although Donald Trump is doing
Zambia’s violent and razor-close election is mired in controversy. Here’s why. Matt Herman and Elizabeth Sperber - September 18, 2016 [caption id="attachment_46353" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Zambian President Edgar Lungu arrives to
White Christian America is dying John Sides - August 15, 2016 Robert P. Jones is the founding CEO of the Public
How Trump could ignore social conservatives … and win Michelle Barnello and John Camobreco - July 8, 2016 [caption id="attachment_43461" align="aligncenter" width="960"] (Erika P. Rodriguez For The Washington
Utah’s Mormons rejected Trump and picked Cruz. Here’s why. Benjamin Hertzberg - March 23, 2016 [caption id="attachment_37823" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Ted Cruz speaks to supporters at
Is Donald Trump leading a realignment of the GOP? Maybe not. Chris Baylor - March 21, 2016 [caption id="attachment_36766" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump listens
It’s not just Trump. Authoritarian populism is rising across the West. Here’s why. Pippa Norris - March 11, 2016 Many American commentators have had trouble understanding the rise of
No, Trump’s anti-Muslim proposals aren’t anti-American. They’re just the latest entries in a history of American religious and racial persecution. Nancy Wadsworth - December 21, 2015 Donald Trump’s recent declaration that he would ban Muslims from
Want to help the Islamic State recruit? Treat all Muslims as potential terrorists. Richard Maass - November 30, 2015 [caption id="attachment_32767" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Sister Munira Salim Abdalla, chief administrator
As Pope Francis calls for compassion toward the poor in Africa, what are African churches doing? Beatty Riedl and Gwyneth McClendon - November 28, 2015 [caption id="attachment_32739" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Pope Francis listens to a speech
Why American Catholics may not be persuaded by Pope Francis’s message on immigration Tatishe Nteta and Kevin Wallsten - September 27, 2015 [caption id="attachment_29983" align="aligncenter" width="908"] People gather on the Mall to
Why one city in Congo is astonishingly stable and prosperous. Laura Seay - July 31, 2015 [caption id="attachment_28027" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Shoppers wait to be served in
Mike Huckabee’s attack on the Supreme Court could work. Here’s how. Paul Djupe and Andrew Lewis - June 30, 2015 [caption id="attachment_26731" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee talks
Mike Huckabee's attack on the Supreme Court could work. Here's how. John Sides - June 30, 2015 [caption id="attachment_26731" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee talks
A court with no Protestants Andrew Gelman - June 27, 2015 I saw here that Antonin Scalia is bummed that the
Is Kazakhstan’s ‘dialogue of civilizations’ all about image, or doing some real good? Marlene Laruelle - June 27, 2015 [caption id="attachment_26523" align="aligncenter" width="982"] View of The Palace of Peace
Is Kazakhstan's 'dialogue of civilizations' all about image, or doing some real good? - June 27, 2015 [caption id="attachment_26523" align="aligncenter" width="982"] View of The Palace of Peace
Around the world, do symbols like the Confederate flag stand for heritage or hate? Jonathan Blake - June 26, 2015 [caption id="attachment_26571" align="alignnone" width="620" class="align center"] People gather at the
The freedom of religion argument could actually make gay marriage opponents more tolerant Paul Djupe and Andrew Lewis - April 10, 2015 [caption id="attachment_23304" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A pedestrian walks past a sign
Why most American Jews vote for Democrats, explained John Sides - March 24, 2015 [caption id="attachment_22939" align="alignnone" width="620"] President Obama takes the stage to
Fundamentalist wrath Ron Hassner - January 12, 2015 [caption id="attachment_20060" align="aligncenter" width="372"] British Muslims Protest the 2006 Danish
When party machines turned immigrants into citizens and voters Seth Masket - December 16, 2014 [caption id="attachment_19115" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Associated Press)[/caption] Americans typically associate party
Is a Democratic realignment afoot in the middle class? - September 7, 2014 In the past 40 years, the industrial economy has evolved
How religious minorities helped rescue Jews in the Netherlands during the Holocaust Erik Voeten - March 18, 2014 The Netherlands had the lowest Jewish survival rate of any
Don’t underestimate importance of religion for understanding Russia’s actions in Crimea Mara Kozelsky - March 13, 2014 [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special="3TP"] Russia's President Vladimir Putin and
Don't underestimate importance of religion for understanding Russia's actions in Crimea Mara Kozelsky - March 13, 2014 [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special="3TP"] Russia's President Vladimir Putin and
How race and religion have polarized American voters - January 20, 2014 Alan I. Abramowitz is the Alben W. Barkley Professor of
Muslim fundamentalism in Europe… So what? Erik Voeten - December 16, 2013 The following guest post is by Cas Mudde, assistant professor in
No, good looks don't win elections John Sides - November 13, 2013 [caption id="attachment_3013" align="aligncenter" width="300" special=""] (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)[/caption]
Mourdock, God’s Will, and Rape: How Americans Really Think about God and Public Policy John Sides - October 26, 2012 This is a guest post from Robert Jones, the CEO
The Politics of Dillon, Texas - October 24, 2012 That taxes, the national debt, or health care reform have
Romney’s Candidacy has Piqued Curiosity about Mormons: Evidence from Google Searches John Sides - October 1, 2012 This is a guest post from political scientists Donald Green
Latinos and the Culture War John Sides - April 9, 2012 bq. Evangelicalism is the most potent worldview force in conservatizing
More Hype about Political Independents John Sides - December 8, 2011 Here's a new report by Third Way. They find that
Switzerland Post-Election Report: 2011 Parliamentary Elections Joshua Tucker - October 25, 2011 In our continuing series of "election reports":http://tmc.org/blog/category/election-reports/, we are pleased
Public Attitudes toward Adultery, Part II John Sides - August 2, 2011 In response to my post describing increasing opposition to adultery,
Irritating pseudo-populism, backed up by false statistics and implausible speculations Andrew Gelman - April 5, 2011 Tyler Cowen links to this article by Matt Ridley that
Mosques Make Muslim-Americans More American John Sides - March 8, 2011 Or so it appears, according to findings from the Muslim
Explaining Opposition to the “Ground Zero Mosque” John Sides - September 9, 2010 This is a guest post from "Jeremy Menchik":www.polisci.wisc.edu/menchik, a doctoral
Presidential Passover John Sides - March 29, 2010 Lee was always good about posting in and around the
Did the Bush Campaign Mobilize Evangelicals? John Sides - January 11, 2010 The short answer is: maybe not. In recent elections, during
Who wants school vouchers? Rich whites and poor nonwhites Andrew Gelman - June 16, 2009 As part of our Red State, Blue State research, we
Does Huckabee Have a “Catholic Problem”? John Sides - January 9, 2008 A couple days ago, Philip Klinkner posted this analysis of