The Theocratic Inclinations of the Republican Electorate
Should a political leader rely on religion when making policy decisions? (Source: ABC/Washington Post poll, April 2005)
| Yes | No | |
| Conservatives | 63% | 32% |
| Republicans | 62 | 35 |
| National sample | 40 | 55 |
| Independents | 38 | 59 |
| Moderates | 36 | 58 |
| Democrats | 27 | 65 |
| Liberals | 20 | 77 |
Which worries you more, politicians inattentive to religion or politicians too close to religion and its leaders? (Source: CBS News/New York Times poll, Nov. 2004.)
| Inattentive | Too close | Depends/unsure | |
| Republicans | 53% | 30% | 17% |
| National sample | 35 | 51 | 14 |
| Independents | 29 | 53 | 18 |
| Democrats | 25 | 65 | 10 |
Should religious leaders try to influence politicians’ positions on the issues? (Source: ABC News/Washington Post poll, May 2004.)
| No | Yes | |
| White conservative evangelicals | 37% | 62% |
| White churchgoing evangelicals | 46 | 53 |
| Conservatives | 49 | 49 |
| Republicans | 50 | 48 |
| White evangelicals | 53 | 46 |
| Catholics | 65 | 34 |
| National sample | 64 | 35 |
| Independents | 67 | 32 |
| Moderates | 69 | 29 |
| Democrats | 71 | 28 |
| Nonevangelical Protestants | 70 | 27 |
| Seculars | 77 | 22 |
Do you think religious leaders should try to influence government decisions? (Source: Associated Press/Ipsos poll, International Comparisons, June 2005.)
| Yes | |
| United States | 37% |
| Italians | 30 |
| Canadians | 25 |
| Australians | 22 |
| Koreans | 21 |
| Germans | 20 |
| British | 20 |
| Spanish | 17 |
| French | 12 |
Kevin PhillipsKevin Phillips has been an author and commentator for four decades.