Most recent polls
from Religion Public Religion and Research Institute, 2010-07
As the political alignments and issues associated with the faith community shift, pollsters and media organizations are publishing more research on faith and politics than ever before. FPL Poll Spot is a comprehensive resource for religion and politics polls, containing all the current and recent survey data on campaigns, issues and religious communities. Check back often for the latest information!
Use the checkboxes below to select criteria for polls containing the information that suits your interests.
Results:
Sponsor: Faith in Public Life and Oxfam America
Released: 2009-04
Category: Issues, Catholic, Evangelical/Born Again, Mainline Christian
Summary
More than 6-in-10 (61%) believe dealing with climate change now will create new jobs and help avoid more serious economic problems in the future. Majorities of every religious group agree.
Nearly 7-in-10 (69%) Americans and similar numbers of Catholics and evangelicals agree that climate change is making it harder for the world’s poorest people to support their families by causing increased drought and crop failure.
Approximately three-quarters of the general public and similar numbers of Catholics and evangelicals favor helping the world's poorest people adapt to food and water shortages caused by rising global temperatures.
More than two-thirds (67%) of Americans (and 66% of Catholics and 61% of white evangelicals) agree that reducing global poverty would increase stability in the most dangerous parts of the world and make Americans safer.
Sixty-three percent of Americans say the federal government should be doing more on the issue of climate change, as do 63% of Catholics and 50% of white evangelicals.
Sponsor: Faith in Public Life, Sojourners, and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Released: 2008-11
Category: Issues, Party Affiliation, Presidential Race, Religion in Public Life, Catholic, Evangelical/Born Again
Summary
• Almost twice the number of white evangelicals who voted for Obama say he "shares their values," is "friendly" to religion.
• Obama significantly improves upon perceptions of Democratic Party’s "friendliness" to religion. Fifty-four percent of voters see Obama as friendly to religion, a 16-point improvement over his party’s numbers.
• Palin nomination resulted in net loss for GOP ticket. Palin's nomination increased support among fewer than one-third of white evangelicals (30%), and decreased support among every other religious group and political independents.
• Religious voters want a broad agenda. While 1-in-5 evangelicals and 1-in-8 Catholics say an agenda focused primarily on abortion and same-sex marriage best reflects their values, majorities of evangelical and Catholic voters want a broad agenda.
• Evangelical, Catholic voters reject narrow political focus, embrace the common good. Large majorities of Catholics (72%) and white evangelicals (81%) say people of faith should focus on all issues that are central to their values even if it makes them less effective in politics, rather than focusing on one or two issues in order to be more politically effective. Strong majorities of both groups also believe people of faith should advocate for policies that "protect the interests of all and promote the common good," rather than policies that "protect their values and way of life."
• Common ground approach to reducing abortion is overwhelmingly popular. The vast majority (83%) of voters, including white evangelicals (86%) and Catholics (81%), believe elected leaders should work together to find ways to reduce abortions by helping prevent unwanted pregnancies, expanding adoption, and increasing economic support for women who want to carry their pregnancies to term.
Sponsor: Faith in Public Life
Released: 2008-10
Category: Issues, Party Affiliation, Presidential Race, Religion in Public Life, Catholic, Evangelical/Born Again, Mainline Christian
Summary
Monthly worship attenders swing to Obama in 2008. More Americans think Obama is friendly to religion than McCain. Younger Catholics more strongly support Obama, abortion rights, and more active government than older Catholics. Younger white evangelicals strongly oppose abortion rights but are less conservative and more supportive of same-sex marriage than older evangelicals. Younger white evangelicals are more pluralistic and more supportive of active government at home and of diplomacy abroad. Americans say economy, energy and gas prices, and health care are the most important issues in 2008. Support for same-sex marriage is significant among young religious Americans. Americans rank abortion and same-sex marriage as the least important issues in 2008.
Sponsor: Faith in Public Life, America's Voice Education Fund, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Jesse Miranda Center
Released: 2008-10
Category: Issues, Presidential Race, Religion in Public Life, Evangelical/Born Again
Summary
Latino Protestant support for the Republican ticket nearly cut in half since 2004. Latino Protestants view immigration as a faith issue. A candidate's position on immigration is a key factor for Latino Protestants in determining their vote and more trust Democrats to deliver. Immigration reform is a priority for Latino Protestants on par with abortion and far more important than gay marriage.
Sponsor: Mercer University/Faith in Public Life
Released: 2008-09
Category: Issues, Religion in Public Life, Evangelical/Born Again
Summary
Close to six-in-ten white evangelicals in the South say that torture can be often (20%) or sometimes (37%) justified in order to gain important information. Among those influenced by Christian teachings, a majority (52%) oppose torture - 14 points higher than white evangelicals in the South overall. A majority (52%) agree with the Golden Rule argument against torture - that the U.S. government should not use methods against our enemies that we would not want used on American soldiers. This movement represents a 14-point increase from the 38% of white evangelicals who initially said that torture is rarely or never justified.
Sponsor: Faith in Public Life/Zogby
Released: 2008-03
Category: Issues, Party Affiliation, Evangelical/Born Again
Summary
In typical primary exit polls sponsored by the National Election Pool (ABC News, the Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, FOX News and NBC News), only those who voted in Republican primaries are asked if he or she identifies as an evangelical or born-again Christian. In this poll, however, voters in both primaries were asked. Forty-three percent of all white evangelical Ohio primary voters participated in the Democratic primary and a majority of white evangelical Ohio voters support a broader issue agenda.
Sponsor: Faith in Public Life/Zogby
Released: 2008-02
Category: Issues, Party Affiliation, Evangelical/Born Again
Summary
In typical primary exit polls sponsored by the National Election Pool (ABC News, the Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, FOX News and NBC News), only those who voted in Republican primaries are asked if he or she identifies as an evangelical or born-again Christian. In this poll, however, voters in both primaries were asked. One in three white evangelical voters in Missouri and Tennessee participated in Democratic primaries. Majorities of both Democratic and Republican evangelical voters want a broader issue agenda that goes beyond abortion and same-sex marriage to include ending poverty, protecting the environment, and tackling HIV/AIDS -- rather than sticking to the more limited agenda of opposing abortion and same-sex marriage. Majorities of white evangelicals in both states support a broader agenda by more than 20 percentage points.
