Religion and Political Decision Making

By: Michael S. Evans.

Political thinkers of note have argued that dedication to democratic processes can help people of different faiths work together in public life. The assumptions made in support of this claim are the focus of this essay. Do religious people look to politics to settle serious disagreements over the direction of public policy? So, if they do, which political system do they respect? Using a novel interview procedure with 61 respondents representing a wide range of religious traditions.
The Researcher found that people are generally prepared to defer to the legal political process, even if it leads to an unwanted conclusion that contradicts religious (or other) political inclinations. To counter this, as well as found that process preferences do not map onto religious affiliation and that a political process need not be democratic to be perceived as legitimate.