Description
Book SynopsisIn some religious countries, churches have drafted constitutions, restricted abortion, and controlled education. In others, church influence on public policy is far weaker. Why? Nations under God argues that where religious and national identities have historically fused, churches gain enormous moral authority--and covert institutional access. Thes
Trade ReviewWinner of the 2016 Best Book Award, European Politics and Society Section of the American Political Science Association "[An] excellent volume."--Choice "A landmark contribution... It blends statistical analysis, qualitative paired comparisons, and formal theory into an argument that is both theoretically nuanced and empirically rich... Nations under God should be kept on a shelf within arm's reach as scholars grapple with these questions."--David T. Buckley, Journal of Church and State "An original and insightful argument that is essential to understanding the role of religious institutions in politics."--Jonathan Fox, Perspectives on Politics
Table of ContentsList of Figures ix List of Tables xi Acknowledgments xiii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Weapons of the Meek: How Churches Influence Policy 22 Chapter 3 Catholic Monopolies: Ireland and Italy 62 Chapter 4 Post-Communist Divergence: Poland and Croatia 145 Chapter 5 Religious Pluralism and Church Influence: United States and Canada 227 Conclusion Where Churches Matter 329 Appendix Further Tests of the Argument 345 References 373 Index 407
