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Examining the Association Between Church and the Party Identification of Black Americans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2008

Maruice Mangum*
Affiliation:
Texas Southern University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Maruice Mangum, Department of Political Science, Texas Southern University, School of Public Affairs, Houston, TX 77004. E-mail: maruicemangum@yahoo.com

Abstract

The goal of this article is to examine the association between church attendance and the party identification of black Americans. Using ordinary least squares and logistic regression to analyze data taken from the 1996 National Black Election Study, I find that church attendance has dual effects for determining the party identification of blacks. On one hand, church attendance encourages blacks to be Republican. On the other hand, attending voting churches does not foster Republicanism. Attendance at voting churches influences blacks to be Democrats. Also, blacks who attend voting churches with increasing frequency are likely to identify themselves with the Democratic Party.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Research Section of the American Political Science Association 2008

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