Suchergebnisse

AbstractAlthough American society is religiously pluralistic, not all religious groups enjoy equal levels of public approval and support. Indeed, America has a history of viewing members of nontraditional religious groups with considerable distrust and suspicion. Two religious groups in particular — Muslims and Mormons — have come under fire in recent years, though not necessarily for the same reasons. Muslims and Mormons have frequently been viewed as outside the mainstream of American culture and, perhaps for that reason, have suffered from discrimination, threats, and violence. This article examines Americans' views of these two important and rapidly growing groups, using social identity theory as the primary vehicle of analysis. The theory proves useful in helping us explain variance in Americans' views of these two groups. While a variety of social, political and religious variables help to explain Americans' views of Muslims and Mormons, religious variables have the greatest impact.

This research note examines the hypothesis that the impact of state legislative term limits on legislators' career planning varies by political context. A comparison of the career planning of legislative candidates from Michigan, a state with relatively restrictive term limits and a high degree of legislative professionalism, with candidates from Oklahoma, a state with less restrictive term limits and somewhat less professionalism, support this view. In addition, the data reveal substantial differences between supporters and opponents of term limits with respect to institutional loyalty and zdesiredcareer patterns.

Examines political participation among pastors of the evangelical Christian Reformed Church & the more liberal Reformed Church in America. The focus is on the nature & extent of political involvement across time & during the 1966 presidential election. Data were drawn from questionnaires completed by 520 ministers equally divided between the two denominations. The results showed different patterns of clerical involvement in politics depending upon mode of activity & theological orientation. Theological orthodoxy made pastors more likely to refer to political issues in a sermon, take a public stand on issues, or publicly endorse a candidate. Although clergy exhibiting high levels of theological orthodoxy were more likely to make political pronouncements than more modernist ministers, theological orthodoxy was less strongly related to voting, financially supporting political groups, contacting public officials, & circulating petitions. Political activities associated with theological modernists included organizing political groups within the church. A dominant trend over time was greater involvement by orthodox pastors in political activities that were once the province of more modernist clergy. 5 Tables. J. Lindroth

Examines political participation among pastors of the evangelical Christian Reformed Church & the more liberal Reformed Church in America. The focus is on the nature & extent of political involvement across time & during the 1966 presidential election. Data were drawn from questionnaires completed by 520 ministers equally divided between the two denominations. The results showed different patterns of clerical involvement in politics depending upon mode of activity & theological orientation. Theological orthodoxy made pastors more likely to refer to political issues in a sermon, take a public stand on issues, or publicly endorse a candidate. Although clergy exhibiting high levels of theological orthodoxy were more likely to make political pronouncements than more modernist ministers, theological orthodoxy was less strongly related to voting, financially supporting political groups, contacting public officials, & circulating petitions. Political activities associated with theological modernists included organizing political groups within the church. A dominant trend over time was greater involvement by orthodox pastors in political activities that were once the province of more modernist clergy. 5 Tables. J. Lindroth

This article examines the attitudes of legislators from eight states toward public funding of gubernatorial candidates. Legislators divide themselves into two distinct, opposing groups on the public funding issue. Both personal characteristics and perceptions of the political environment are related to legislators' attitudes toward public funding.