The chapter explores the challenges faced by the Democratic Party in managing a diverse coalition amidst declining religiosity, highlighting the disconnect between party leadership and the changing voter demographics. It also touches on the Republican Party's need to expand their coalition while retaining their base of white Christianity supporters. The discussion delves into how Trump's appeal to white evangelical Christians reshaped the political landscape by tapping into cultural grievances and portraying Christians as a marginalized group he vowed to protect.
Americans are becoming less religious and two new surveys out just last week punctuate just how quickly that’s happening. According to the Public Religion Research Institute, 26 percent of Americans now consider themselves unaffiliated with any religion. That’s up from 21 percent a decade ago and just 6 percent in the early '90s. According to Gallup, the number of Americans who attend religious services weekly or nearly every week has fallen from 42 percent in 2000 to 30 percent now.
In this installment of the 538 Politics podcast, Galen speaks with a roundtable of experts on religion and society about why the decline has happened and what it portends for American communities, networks and politics. Joining the podcast are Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute; Ryan Burge, Professor of Political Science at Eastern Illinois University and a Baptist Pastor; and Daniel Cox, Director of the Survey Center on American Life.
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