A score of zero is equal to the average for all respondents. Not surprisingly, it is social, sexual, and cultural issues that make manifest the most dramatic differences between the various religious traditions and levels of religious commitment. To make it easier to compare groups to each 3. The National Election Study used the same language in both 1964 and 1996 but offered dif- ferent options for the response. Others think the government should just let each person get ahead on their own.
Higher numbers indicate relatively more conservative opinions.
National Election Studies. Higher numbers indicate relatively more warmth of feeling. Summary The findings presented in this chapter demonstrate that an understanding of contemporary public opinion in America would be incomplete without a consideration of the role of religion. Citizens of different religious traditions differ sometimes greatly in their opinions on key political issues. Others feel that this is not the federal government's busi- ness.