POLSCI 140 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Tumbuka Language, American Political Science Review, Party System
Document Summary
Americans are much more likely than western europeans to say that they 1) believe in god 2) that religion is important to them 3) go to religious services regularly. This theory argues that the religious marketplace in america is competitive and diverse. It is easy for people to find a religion that suits them. In europe, many countries had a state religion or were dominated by the. So the religious marketplace was more of a monopoly, less competitive. More people are religious because they can find a religion that suits their needs. (more religious competition = more religious population) Large number of immigrants who came to the united states were religious refugees. African-american slaves were also extremely religious and this was passed on to modern african- american communities. Also immigrants in general are more religious, so large numbers of immigrants increased religiosity in the us.
