This study introduces a novel measure of the Christian Right's political influence within state Republican parties.
Theoretical Framework: The article develops a framework to understand regional variations in this influence.
Research Design & Data: Drawing on social movement theory, we analyze how both internal movement resources and external state political contexts impact Christian Right involvement across different states.
Key Findings: Contrary to the expectation of uniform strength nationwide, our analysis shows significant variation tied directly to specific regional political environments. For instance, in states with stronger Republican majorities at the state level, Christian Right influence appears more pronounced on policy agendas.
Why This Matters: These findings highlight that understanding religious right politics must account for geographic and political context differences rather than assuming a national movement pattern.
