The 1988 elections abruptly brought the importance of religion in American politics into sharp focus. Two ministers, Pat Robertson and Jesse Jackson, sought their party's presidential nominations by mobilizing key religious constituencies. In addition, a host of other religious groups, from the Catholic bishops to the Jewish community, sought to influence the election outcome. More than ever, religion was a critical factor in the ballots cast by millions of Americans. As the twentieth century draws to a close, it is clear that religion will continue to be a powerful factor in electoral politics. This volume investigates the many ways religion influenced electoral politics in 1988, tracing the links between elites, activists, and voters in the major religious traditions. Special attention is paid to the leaders of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish organizations; to important sets of activists, such as ministers, party leaders, and campaign contributors; and to the behavior of key voting blocs, including white evangelical and mainline Protestants, black Protestants, Catholics, and Jews.

The 1988 elections abruptly brought the importance of religion in American politics into sharp focus. Two ministers, Pat Robertson and Jesse Jackson, sought their party's presidential nominations by mobilizing key religious constituencies. In addition, a host of other religious groups, from the Catholic bishops to the Jewish community, sought to influence the election outcome. More than ever, religion was a critical factor in the ballots cast by millions of Americans. As the twentieth century draws to a close, it is clear that religion will continue to be a powerful factor in electoral politics. This volume investigates the many ways religion influenced electoral politics in 1988, tracing the links between elites, activists, and voters in the major religious traditions. Special attention is paid to the leaders of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish organizations; to important sets of activists, such as ministers, party leaders, and campaign contributors; and to the behavior of key voting blocs, including white evangelical and mainline Protestants, black Protestants, Catholics, and Jews.

In Religion and the Struggle for European Union, Brent F. Nelsen and James L. Guth delve into the powerful role of religion in shaping European attitudes on politics, political integration, and the national and continental identities of its leaders and citizens. Nelsen and Guth contend that for centuries Catholicism promoted the universality of the Church and the essential unity of Christendom. Protestantism, by contrast, esteemed particularity and feared Catholic dominance. These differing visions of Europe have influenced the process of postwar integration in profound ways. Nelsen and Guth compare the Catholic view of Europe as a single cultural entity best governed as a unified polity against traditional Protestant estrangement from continental culture and its preference for pragmatic cooperation over the sacrifice of sovereignty. As the authors show, this deep cultural divide, rooted in the struggles of the Reformation, resists the ongoing secularization of the continent. Unless addressed, it threatens decades of hard-won gains in security and prosperity. Farsighted and rich with data, Religion and the Struggle for European Union offers a pragmatic way forward in the EU's attempts to solve its social, economic, and political crises.

Social movements in the United States are important political actors because of their scale and duration, their generation of new ideas and understandings of existing problems, their ability to mobilize those who were previously passive citizens, and the impetus they provide for restructuring and broadening the agenda of American politics. This volume combines chapters by a distinguished group of social movement scholars, from both sociology and political science, who use perspectives ranging from political process theory to rational choice and collective action approaches to evaluate the functioning of institutions of American government and the public policies that they produce. A diverse group of movements and interests are featured: women, public interest, native America, the environment, the Christian Right, abortion, gay rights, and homelessness among them.

In Religion and the Struggle for European Union, Brent F. Nelsen and James L. Guth delve into the powerful role of religion in shaping European attitudes on politics, political integration, and the national and continental identities of its leaders and citizens. Nelsen and Guth contend that for centuries Catholicism promoted the universality of the Church and the essential unity of Christendom. Protestantism, by contrast, esteemed particularity and feared Catholic dominance. These differing visions of Europe have influenced the process of postwar integration in profound ways. Nelsen and Guth compare the Catholic view of Europe as a single cultural entity best governed as a unified polity against traditional Protestant estrangement from continental culture and its preference for pragmatic cooperation over the sacrifice of sovereignty. As the authors show, this deep cultural divide, rooted in the struggles of the Reformation, resists the ongoing secularization of the continent. Unless addressed, it threatens decades of hard-won gains in security and prosperity. Farsighted and rich with data, Religion and the Struggle for European Union offers a pragmatic way forward in the EU's attempts to solve its social, economic, and political crises.

The presidency of Barack Obama seeks a major transformation of American politics and policy. This new collection, edited by Steven E. Schier, examines the unusual combination of risk and ambition in Obama's presidency concerning popular politics, Washington politics, and economic and foreign policy. It also places the Obama presidency in historical perspective, noting the unusual circumstances of his election and the similarities and differences between presidential politics today and those of previous eras. Transforming America: Barack Obama in the White House provides a guiding focus involving the successes and failures of the administration's transformative aspirations during Obama's initial years in the White House. Contributions by John J. Coleman, James L. Guth, John F. Harris, James Hohmann, Bertram Johnson, Richard E. Matland, Nancy Maveety, James M. McCormick, John J. Pitney Jr, Nicol C. Rae, Steven E. Schier, Raymond Tatalovich, Andrea L. Walker, and John K. White.

"The American Elections of 2008" assembles leading political scientists and journalists to explain the election results and their implications for America's future. Topics include financing the elections, religion's influence, the media, and how the George W. Bush legacy affected the outcome. The book also explores Congressional behavior in the twenty-first century and discusses how it affected election results in 2008.

While the Christian Right has been the subject of a good deal of scholarly analysis, it has not been adequately studied within a comparative context -- across time, across different institutional systems, or across different religious communities. In Sojourners in the Wilderness, a host of distinguished scholars examine these dimensions of the Christian Right. The contributors analyze the Christian Right historically -- what is its relationship today with earlier manifestations? How have its organizational structures and strategies changed over time? Sociologically -- what are the current opportunities for Christian Right inroads within African-American, Catholic, and Jewish communities?; and politically -- what accounts for the affinity between many evangelical Protestants and the Christian Right within the American political context, while such an affinity appears to be lacking in other political contexts? All of those interested in religion's role in politics and history will find this book valuable.

When Democrats lost control of Congress in 1994, the Religious Right claimed a major role in their defeat and House Speaker Newt Gingrich credited the "organized Christian vote" with the Republican victory. Ministers from many political persuasions have long been active in American politics, but in the 1980s and 1990s it has seemed impossible to find any political controversy that did not involve the clergy -- often on both sides of the issue.

In this first major study of clergy and politics in more than twenty years, five social scientists tell how and why the theological orthodoxy and modernism that divides American Protestants into two camps increasingly correlates with today's political climate. Drawing on two decades of extensive survey research conducted with thousands of ministers nationwide, they explore the political attitudes and behavior of the clergy in eight mainline and evangelical Protestant denominations -- including Southern Baptist, Assemblies of God, United Methodist, and Presbyterian.

In addressing the nature and extent of clerical participation, The Bully Pulpit asks the following questions: How do different groups of ministers see their role in politics? What kinds of activities do they approve or disapprove? How active are contemporary Protestant clergy in politics? What factors account for the level and kinds of participation? It also questions whether analyses of clerical activism made in the 1960s and 1970s can be said to apply to Protestants today.

The authors' findings reveal that traditionalists who seek moral reform tend to make pronouncements in religious settings, while modernists interested in social justice are more active in a wide range ofpolitical activities. They also indicate that the "New Breed" liberals are just as active as the Religious Right, citing the long heritage of mainline Protestant politics that continues in the tradition of activist ministers of the 1960s and 1970s. Their book offers an unbiased measure of political activism among both conservative and liberal clergymen at the end of the century and helps us understand the current state of the relationship between church and state in America.

When Democrats lost control of Congress in 1994, the Religious Right claimed a major role in their defeat and House Speaker Newt Gingrich credited the "organized Christian vote" with the Republican victory. Ministers from many political persuasions have long been active in American politics, but in the 1980s and 1990s it has seemed impossible to find any political controversy that did not involve the clergy -- often on both sides of the issue.

In this first major study of clergy and politics in more than twenty years, five social scientists tell how and why the theological orthodoxy and modernism that divides American Protestants into two camps increasingly correlates with today's political climate. Drawing on two decades of extensive survey research conducted with thousands of ministers nationwide, they explore the political attitudes and behavior of the clergy in eight mainline and evangelical Protestant denominations -- including Southern Baptist, Assemblies of God, United Methodist, and Presbyterian.

In addressing the nature and extent of clerical participation, The Bully Pulpit asks the following questions: How do different groups of ministers see their role in politics? What kinds of activities do they approve or disapprove? How active are contemporary Protestant clergy in politics? What factors account for the level and kinds of participation? It also questions whether analyses of clerical activism made in the 1960s and 1970s can be said to apply to Protestants today.

The authors' findings reveal that traditionalists who seek moral reform tend to make pronouncements in religious settings, while modernists interested in social justice are more active in a wide range ofpolitical activities. They also indicate that the "New Breed" liberals are just as active as the Religious Right, citing the long heritage of mainline Protestant politics that continues in the tradition of activist ministers of the 1960s and 1970s. Their book offers an unbiased measure of political activism among both conservative and liberal clergymen at the end of the century and helps us understand the current state of the relationship between church and state in America.