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Jesus Q. Politician: Religious Rhetoric in the United States, Australia, and Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 July 2012

Willie Gin
Willie Gin*
Affiliation:
Xavier University of Louisiana
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Willie Gin, Xavier University of Louisiana, 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans, LA 70125. E-mail: willie.gin@gmail.com
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Abstract

Sociologist Peter Berger once said that if India is the most religious country and Sweden the least, then the United States is a nation of Indians ruled by Swedes. In terms of use of religious rhetoric by politicians, however, the United States actually comes closer to being a nation of Indians ruled by Indians, while Australia a nation of Swedes ruled by “Swindians,” and Canada a nation of “Swindians” ruled by Swedes. This article provides evidence for these claims and assesses theories as to what causes greater use of religious rhetoric by politicians. Size of the religious population and the rights revolution are not decisive in determining whether politicians heavily use religious rhetoric. The article argues that the politicization of religion is related to coalition-building incentives with Catholics.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , August 2012 , pp. 317 - 342
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2012

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