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Rabbi David Saperstein
The American Values SurveyAugust 9 -23, 2006
2,502 American AdultsAfrican American and Hispanic Over Samples
Margin of Error: +-1.95%Conducted by Braun Research, Inc.
www.centerforamericanvalues.org
5
Centrists Dominate the Religious Landscape
Note: The religious orientation scale was based on a composite religiosity factor that utilized three basic types of religious measures: belief, practice and salience.
18%
10%
22%
50%
Modernist
Secular
Traditionalist
Centrist
6
• Religious Traditionalists: – Attend religious services weekly or more– Pray daily– Believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible– Believe God exists without any doubts– Report that religion is a very important or the most important thing in their lives
• Religious Centrists: – Attend religious services weekly or a few times a month– Pray frequently but not necessarily daily– Believe that Bible is inspired but not literal word of God– Believe God exists, but may have doubts– Report that religion is very important part of their lives
• Religious Modernists: – Attend religious services once in a while or infrequently– Pray occasionally or infrequently– Believe that Bible is inspired but not literal word of God or an ancient book of myths and
legends– Believe God exists but have doubts or are uncertain God exists– Report that religion is fairly important to their lives
Religious Orientations: Traditionalists, Centrists, and Modernists
7
Q.22: Moral values can mean different things to different people. What comes to mind when you think about voting your values?
The Meaning of ‘Voting Your Values’
23%
39%
21%
9%
3%
The honesty, integrity, and responsibility of the candidate Protecting personal freedoms and individual choices
Eliminating poverty and guaranteeing access to health care Keeping marriage between a man and a woman
Working to restrict access to abortion
Honesty & Integrity
Freedoms & Choices
Poverty & Health Care
Traditional Marriage
Abortion
8
The Meaning of ‘Voting Your Values’
Q.22: Moral values can mean different things to different people. What comes to mind when you think about voting your values?
23%21%
9%
3%
39%
The honesty, integrity, and responsibility of the candidate
Protecting freedoms and individual choices
Eliminating poverty and guaranteeing access to health care
Keeping marriage between a man and a woman
Working to restrict access to abortion
Evangelicals
44%
18%14%
16%
3%
10
23%
17%
15%
9% 9%8%
7%6%
5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Jobs andthe
economy
War in Iraq Terrorismand
NationalSecurity
Corruptionin
Washington
Medicareand SocialSecurity
Health Care IllegalImmigration
Don't Know Abortionand gaymarriage
Q.14: Thinking about the upcoming elections this year, which ONE of the following issue areas would be MOST important to you in deciding how to vote for a candidate for Congress?
Abortion and Gay Marriage are the Least Important Issues in Deciding 2006 Vote
Too many leaders use religion to talk about abortion and gay rights, but don’t talk about more important things like loving your neighbor and caring for the poor.
Q.15 & Q.16c
Which of these kinds of issues are more important in the United States today: issues like poverty and affordable health care OR issues like abortion and same-sex marriage.
Strong Support for Broader Religious Discourse and Economic Issue Priorities
82%
15%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Agree Disagree
85%
12%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Issues like poverty andaffordable health care
Issues like abortion andsame-sex marriage
13
Q.10: If the law guaranteed that no church or congregation would be required to perform marriages for same-sex couples, I would support allowing gay couples to legally marry.
Increased Support for Same-sex Marriage with
Religious Liberty Assurance – All Americans
28%
32%
36%
40%
23%
33%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Marry Civil Unions No recognition
Original SupportSupport for Marriage with Religious Liberty Assurance
Support for Environmental Regulations and ‘Creation Care’
Q.8c. (Split A) Stricter environmental regulations are worth the cost.(Split B) We have a moral obligation to care for God’s creation by supporting stricter environmental laws and regulations, even if it means some economic costs.
62
70 7175 76
8082
66
7478
82
72
80
72
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Evangelicals MainlineProtestants
BlackProtestants^
HispanicProtestants^*
Catholics HispanicCatholics^
Secular
Environmental Regulations Worth the Cost Obligation to Care for God's Creation
Swing Voters, Centrists, and Evangelicals
64%
83%
60%
74%
67%
83%
62%
74%
57%
78%
48%
62%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
The U.S. government shouldguarantee health insurance for
all citizens, even if it meansraising taxes.(65%)
Congress should approve anincrease in the minimum wagefrom $5.15 an hour to $7.25
an hour.(83%)
Good diplomacy is the bestway to ensure peace (61%)
Stricter environmental lawsand regulations are worth the
economic costs.(71%)
Swing Voter Religious Centrists Evangelical
Q. 5d, 8a, 8b, 8c.
21
Source: 2004 National Election Pool Exit Poll.
2004 Vote by Religious Attendance
37%
45%
51%
59%
65%
63%
55%
35%
41%
49%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
More thanonce a week
Once a week Few times amonth
A few timesa year
Never
Bush Vote Kerry Vote
22
Q.53. If the election for U.S. Congress were held today, would you be voting for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate in your district where you live?
2006 Projected Vote by Religious Attendance
57%60% 60%
45%
40%
23%24%
29%
42%
43%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
More thanonce a week
Once a week Once or twicea month
A few times ayear
Never
Democrat/Lean Republican/Lean
No Other/
Rep Dem Ind Pref DK N
Total 26 32 32 5 5=100 3,002
More than once a week 40 27 23 7 3=100 433
Once a week 32 32 27 4 5=100 857
Once or twice a month 26 32 33 5 4=100 460
A few times a year 21 35 35 5 4=100 494
Seldom 20 35 36 6 3=100 465
Never 15 32 44 3 6=100 253
Source: Pew Research Center Survey, Aug. 2007
Party Affiliation by Religious Attendance
Favorable Unfavorable N % %
Total 42 58 1,166 All Protestants 45 55 627 White Evangelical 48 52 256 White Mainline 48 52 261All Catholics 39 61 253 White Non-Hisp. 45 55 194Unaffiliated 32 68 182
Based on those who could rateSource: Pew Research Center Survey, January 2008
Favorable Opinions of the Republican Candidate
Mitt Romney
Favorable Unfavorable N % %
Total 64 36 1,333 All Protestants 65 35 723 White Evangelical 68 32 289 White Mainline 72 28 301All Catholics 61 39 285 White Non-Hisp. 70 30 220Unaffiliated 67 33 209
Based on those who could rateSource: Pew Research Center Survey, January 2008
Favorable Opinions of the Republican Candidate
John McCain
Favorable Unfavorable N % %
Total 49 51 1,115 All Protestants 56 44 609 White Evangelical 65 35 251 White Mainline 52 48 254All Catholics 51 49 239 White Non-Hisp. 51 49 186Unaffiliated 33 67 173
Based on those who could rateSource: Pew Research Center Survey, January 2008
Favorable Opinions of the Republican Candidate
Mike Huckabee
Favorable Unfavorable N % %
Total 54 46 1,454 All Protestants 51 49 806 White Evangelical 37 63 322 White Mainline 49 51 329 Black 83 17 112All Catholics 54 46 308 White Non-Hisp. 52 48 238Unaffiliated 62 38 220
Based on those who could rateSource: Pew Research Center Survey, January 2008
Favorable Opinions of the Democratic Candidate
Hillary Clinton
Favorable Unfavorable N % %
Total 63 37 1,364 All Protestants 60 40 756 White Evangelical 39 61 297 White Mainline 66 34 310 Black 86 14 107All Catholics 66 34 284 White Non-Hisp. 63 37 217Unaffiliated 68 32 208
Based on those who could rateSource: Pew Research Center Survey, January 2008
Favorable Opinions of the Democratic Candidate
Barack Obama
"Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom.”
Mitt Romney
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/06/romney.speech/index.html
“The fact is, this country has always been a country where people were able to respect people who had faith. And frankly, we ought to be able to respect people who don't have any.
I mean, I don't feel like a person has to share my faith to share my love of this country.”
Mike Huckabee
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22799665/page/21/
“Iowa, for good reason, for constitutional reasons, for reasons related to the Lord, should be the first caucus and primary."
Bill Richardson
Source: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2007/09/election_central_morning_roundup_100.php
"And I know …. is a man of great character and strong Christian values who will make us proud"
• Said by Neb. Sen Ben Nelson about Barack Obama
Source:http://blog.4president.org/2008/2008/01/obama-campaig-7.html
``I know that I'm right with God and the people I love,'' he said in Greenville. But it's ``just the way I am not to talk about some of these things.''
Fred Thompson
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=asjpd65rYRrk
“I believe that our founders had faith in reason and they also had faith in God, and one of our gifts from God is the ability to reason.”“I am grateful that I have the ability to look at dinosaur bones and draw my own conclusions.”
Hillary Clinton
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/05/us/politics/05clinton.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
“We're going to leave it to the Joshua generation to make sure it happens. The previous generation, the Moses generation, pointed the way. They took us 90% of the way there. We still got that 10% in order to cross over to the other side.”
Barack Obama
Source: http://www.barackobama.com/2007/03/04/selma_voting_rights_march_comm.php
“I think that Governor Romney's religion should not, absolutely not, be a disqualifying factor when people consider his candidacy for President of the United States, absolutely not.”
John McCain
Source: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/220/story_22001_1.html
"[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it's a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards."
Mike Huckabee
Source: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/15/579265.aspx
“I felt it was not the schools’ job, he said, to teach his children to pray, but the family’s.”
Mike Huckabee
Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/02/06/huckabee-families-not-schools-should-teach-prayer/
"Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"
Mike Huckabee to a reporter for The New York Times
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/magazine/16huckabee.html?ex=1355202000&en=c85ac2f5909e536c&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalinkhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/magazine/16huckabee.html?ex=1355202000&en=c85ac2f5909e536c&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
“You can think about every bit of progress you try to make, there’s always going to be somebody to say, ‘You know I think we should go back to Egypt. We can’t transform bad housing, we can’t do it, we can’t afford it, we don’t know how to do it. Do we really want those people in our church? Are we supposed to be parenting these children, where are their parents? Do we want to get in the business of educating after school, pre-school?’ . . . . “We need prophetic voices to say, yes we do, yes we do.”
Hillary Clinton
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/02/washington/02cnd-hillary.html?hp&ex=1162530000&en=84ecbd1be528613a&ei=5094&partner=homepage
Q: A recent poll found that 55 percent of Americans believe the U.S. Constitution establishes a Christian nation. What do you think?A: I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation. But I say that in the broadest sense. The lady that holds her lamp beside the golden door doesn't say, “I only welcome Christians.” We welcome the poor, the tired, the huddled masses. But when they come here they know that they are in a nation founded on Christian principles.
John McCain
Source: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/220/story_22001_1.html
“I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles.... personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith.”
John McCain
Source: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/220/story_22001_1.html
"All I can say is that maybe I should have kept my comments to the fact that I'm a practicing Christian, I respect all religions and beliefs, and that I support the principles, the values of the Founding Fathers. Perhaps I should have couched my remarks to that rather than getting into, as I say, a Talmudic discussion.”
John McCain
Source: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0930mcc.html
FOR CANDIDATES
Thou shalt offer an explanation to the electorate about how your religious
beliefs shape or alter your views on the issues– but never justify policy only on
religious beliefs
FOR CANDIDATES
Thou shalt discuss your views on policy and legal issues that
directly affect religion
FOR CANDIDATES
Thou shalt feel free to use religious language to explain how your beliefs or practices would affect your ability to perform as
President (or in any other office)
FOR CANDIDATES
Thou shalt feel free to discuss the role religion plays in shaping
your values and character
FOR CANDIDATES
Thou shalt minimize the use of divisive and exclusive religious
language
FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND PARTIES
Thou shalt not seek to organize partisan supporters in houses of worship, but should respect the
sacred spaces of church communities
FOR RELIGIOUS GROUPS AND LEADERS
Thou shalt not use religious authority, threats, or discipline to coerce the political decisions of
American citizens
FOR RELIGIOUS GROUPS AND LEADERS
Thou shalt not endorse or oppose candidates
FOR VOTERS
Thou shalt not base your votes on a candidate’s
religious beliefs or practices
FOR EVERYONE
Thou shalt never, explicitly or implicitly, suggest that there is a religious test for holding office
Huckabee- Christian Leader Ad
Huckabee – Christmas Ad
Huckabee – God and the Constitution
Harold Ford, Jr.- Campaign Ad
Romney- “Faith in America” Address
Obama- Faith, Values and Poverty Forum
“The Constitution explicitly forbids the requiring of any religious test as a
qualification for holding office. To impose such a test by popular vote is as bad as to
impose it by law. To vote either for or against a man because of his creed is to impose upon him a religious test and is a
clear violation of the spirit of the Constitution.”
--President Teddy Roosevelt, October 12th 1915, addressing the Knights of Columbus in New York