Kenneth A. Loparo & E. Oldmixon 
Mediating Religion and Government 
Political Institutions and the Policy Process

The study of religion and politics is a strongly behavioral sub-discipline, and within the American context, scholars place tremendous emphasis on its influence on political attitudes and behaviors, resultuing in a better understanding of religion’s ability to shape voting patterns, party affiliation, and views of public policy.

Table of Content

1. An Institutionalist Perspective on Religion and Politics; Kevin R. den Dulk and Elizabeth A. Oldmixon 2. Political Preferences and Institutional Structures: Religious Advocacy in the US Congress; Michael T. Heaney and Elizabeth A. Oldmixon 3. Religious-Market Interest Groups: Do They Sing with an Upper Class Accent?; J. Tobin Grant, Sandy H. Kim and Robert Velez 4. Religion and Political Parties: Mediation in the Mass Party Era; Brian Calfano 5. Serving God by Shaping Law: Religious Legal Advocacy in the United States; Daniel Bennett 6. Religion in the American Congress: The Case of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1953-2013; James L. Guth 7. The Importance of Religion to Understanding the Modern Presidency; Mark J. Rozell and Harold F. Bass 8. Regulating Religion: Bureaucracies, Faith-Based Organizations, and Constitutional Limits; David K. Ryden 9. Religious Actors in State Political Institutions; Kimberly H. Conger 10. Explaining Religious Violence across Countries: An Institutional Approach; Nilay Saiya 11. Conclusion: Religious Politics, Pluralism and the United States Constitution; Ted G. Jelen

About the author

Harold F. Bass, Ouachita Baptist University, USA Daniel Bennett, Eastern Kentucky University, USA Brian Calfano, Missouri State University, USA Kimberly H. Conger, Colorado State University, USA J. Tobin Grant, Southern Illinois University, USA James L. Guth, Furman University, USA Michael T. Heaney, University of Michigan, USA Ted G. Jelen, University of Nevada, USA Sandy H. Kim, Southern Illinois University, USA Mark J. Rozell, George Mason University, USA David Ryden, Hope College, USA Nilay Saiya, State University of New York, USA Robert Velez, Southern Illinois University, USA