Religion and Political Polarization

“Worship settings are well positioned to reduce polarization in America. ”

Team Members/Contributors

R. Khari Brown Wayne State University Contact Me

About this project grant for researchers

The proposed study seeks funding to field the 2020 wave of the National Politics Study. Every two years since 2004, we have fielded the National Politics Study to assess political attitudes and behaviors during Presidential and mid-term election years. It does so to examine the association between attending religious congregations committed to bridging racial, partisan, and ethnic differences with congregants’ tolerance of racial/ethnic out-groups, those of other nationalities, and a willingness to consider the merits of arguments made by partisan out-groups. In doing so, I aim to illustrate how exposure to messages and rituals within such worship spaces may work to lessen politically polarized attitudes and behaviors.