This study finds that American religious and secular orientations are not purely exogenous influences on politics, but rather emerge from political processes.
New Conceptualization of Secularism
- Defines secular orientation beyond absence of religion to include an affirmative identity and commitment to principles.
Definitive Causal Test
- Employs panel data showing how political orientations shape religious/secular views over time.
- Uses experimental methods to demonstrate this causal relationship conclusively.
Mechanism Identification
- Identifies specific conditions under which politics affects religious/ secular perspectives.
- Clarifies the underlying processes driving these dynamics.
