Alumni Signature Event
Faith Factor: America, Religion, and the 2008 Elections

Professor Mark Rozell, Gregory A. Smith, Professor Susan Tolchin and David Masci

Religion and politics are two topics that many of us are taught not to talk about in polite company. However, these were the two topics of conversation at this year’s School of Public Policy Alumni Chapter Signature Event, "Faith Factor: America, Religion, and the 2008 Elections." The event took place on March 30 at Mason’s Arlington Campus.

“This event is a wonderful time for alumni and faculty to catch up on life events during the social hour and then explore a discussion of a relevant policy issue. It was good to see so many familiar faces,” says SPP Alumni Chapter President Ozge Koray. “The Alumni Chapter works hard to prepare for this annual event.”

SPP Professor Mark Rozell, author of the soon-to-be-released Religion and the American Presidency, in addition to The Values Campaign? The Christian Right and the 2004 Elections and The Christian Right in American Politics introduced the speakers and moderated the discussion. Panelists included SPP University Professor Susan Tolchin, as well as David Masci and Gregory A. Smith from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The Pew Forum is a nonpartisan, non-advocacy organization that presents impartial information and does not take positions on policy debates.

Masci, Pew Forum’s senior research fellow and in-house expert on church-state issues, discussed abortion and gay marriage. He noted that how the courts address issues on abortion and how states address issues on gay marriage will play a part in the presidential campaign.

Smith discussed whether there was a religious gap for Democrats and Republicans, noting that polls show a correlation between how people vote and how often they attend church. Pew exit polls indicate that people attending church more than once a week tend to vote for a Republican, while Democrats do better when they appeal to their traditional secular supporters.

Susan Tolchin and Mark Rozell

Tolchin spoke about religious issues that she and her husband, Martin Tolchin, write about in their most recent book, A World Ignited: How Apostles of Ethnic, Religious, and Racial Hatred Torch the Globe. Among the points she discussed were fundamentalism, anti-Semitism, Islam-phobia, and how America was founded on the basis of religious freedom. Tolchin also mentioned the need for leadership to help find solutions.

During the question and answer portion of the program, the audience asked how voters may be influenced by a candidate’s own religion and extra-marital affairs. Pew polls indicate that about a third of the people would be less likely to vote for a candidate that is a Mormon and a fourth would be less likely to vote for a candidate who had extra-marital affairs. When atheism was discussed, Masci cited a Pew poll showing that 94 percent of Americans believe in a higher power, and about 63 percent say they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who does not believe in a higher power. Only 3 percent say they would be more likely to vote for someone who does not believe in a higher power.

Alumna Kate Trygstad, chair of the event committee, notes that an event of this size requires many people tending to numerous details. “Teamwork, dedication to a worthwhile goal, and good old ‘getting your hands dirty’ type of work are necessary to produce an event like this,” she says. “We’re glad everyone seemed to enjoy it.”

The event was made possible by donations from the School of Public Policy, as well as the following sponsors:

• Diamond-level: Booz-Allen Hamilton
• Gold-level: Creative Facilitating, Dale Gianturco, The Holzheimer Family, and Troy Marble
• Silver-level: Capitol Financial Partners, Kharisma Design, Patron Insurance (Vienna), Bill Richardson, and Augustine Sharmin
• Bronze-level: Kelli Barron, Casual Adventure, Guilded Pear Gift Expressions, Keller Williams Realty, Sangam Catering, Ozlem Tekin, and Alison M. White

For more information about the Pew Forum and Pew Forum surveys, click here.