Religiosity and Political Conservatism

Key Insight

Religiosity, defined as the frequency of religious behaviors, is strongly and universally correlated with political conservatism. Individuals who score higher on the RWA scale, indicating greater conservatism, are more likely to agree with trusting government and religious authorities and disagree with statements that question established religions or promote personal moral standards. These high scorers also report higher rates of religious attendance, prayer, scripture reading, and participation in religious education.

This link is evident across various contexts. In a Canadian student survey, 48 percent of the most conservative quartile supported a law mandating belief in God and Christian morality in public schools, compared to only 5 percent of the lowest quartile. In the US, church attendance directly predicts Republican voting, with 66 percent of monthly attendees and 75 percent of weekly attendees voting Republican. Religious opinions also diverge: 60 percent of Republicans, versus 38 percent of Democrats, believe God created humans 10000 years ago.

The relationship holds in diverse global regions, including secular Europe and Eastern cultures like Japan. The European Social Survey found higher church attendance and prayer significantly increased the likelihood of voting for the political right across 17 countries, with exceptions only in extremely secular northern populations. In Japan, support for finding 'comfort and strength from religion' ranged from 27 percent in the Communist Party to 87 percent in the socially conservative Clean Government Party, demonstrating a consistent gradient across the political spectrum. While liberals may also practice religion, those dedicating the most time to organized religious activities are objectively more politically conservative.