17th Annual Student Research Conference
Social Science
Religiosity and Political Participation: The Forgotten Demographic
Amanda C. Keener
Dr. John Quinn, Faculty Mentor
Religion has been studied as a factor in politics as long as politics have been studied. According to Karl Marx, “religion is the opiate of the masses.” The role religion plays in politics in the United States has been much debated. While studies have often linked religiosity and political participation in the adult population, little study had been done on religion’s role in student politics. This study explores this relationship, seeking to establish that religiosity and political participation are positively correlated in the student population, just as in the adult population. The findings are largely not significant, but important questions are raised about how the student body differs from the adult population, and how religiosity should be studied.
Keywords: religion, political, participation, students, politics, elections, religiosity, church
Topic(s):Political Science
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 25-2
Location: OP 2111
Time: 10:15