Religion

                In the states, religion matters in a manner scarcely comprehensible to most Europeans. Not surprisingly, religion holds a major influence upon voting behavior too. When considering this particular section, there is an obvious overlap with ethnicity. The Democrats gain most of their support from secular citizens and those from a minority faith. For instance, in the 2012 presidential contest 7 out of every 10 of those who expressed no religious affiliation supported Obama. Amongst Jewish voters, Obama received almost exactly the same proportion of support (69% in total). In contrast, the Republicans gain the bulk of their support from Christians. To give you some idea of this level of support, Protestants (who account for just over half the total electorate) preferred Romney over Obama by 13%.

No Republican candidate could ever hope to capture the party’s nomination for President without the backing of the religious right. This proved a real problem for Mitt Romney during the 2012 campaign. His Mormonism prompted a degree skepticism from the Evangelical Christian base, and unlike say George W. Bush; he was not by instinct or inclination ‘one of them.’ Romney therefore failed to motivate the party base in sufficient numbers, despite his own religion playing such a central role in his backstory. It remains to be seen who will secure the party's nomination for 2016, but it seems safe to speculate that religion will play some role.

The prominence of religion within the Republican Party platform has increased significantly since the 1970s. This can of course provide a highly effective electoral strategy for the party, appealing to values voters who might otherwise be inclined to vote Democrat on the basis of income or ethnicity. From an international perspective, the Republicans could be compared to say Christian Democrats in countries such as Germany, Italy and Austria. That said; an overtly moralistic message can also deter voters. The former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani once warned fellow Republicans that “the state has no place in people’s bedrooms.” Furthermore, there are figures within the GOP who can appear downright reactionary. For instance, some of the comments made by the birthers against President Obama have done little to present the party in a modern light.