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Religions
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Religion’s Role in Contemporary Public Policy Controversies
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Religion’s Role in Contemporary Public Policy Controversies

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Health/Psychology/Social Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2020) | Viewed by 23763

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Brian Robert Calfano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departments of Political Science and Journalism, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0375, USA
Interests: religion and politics; political behavior; comparative studies; political reporting; media and politics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The debates raging across town halls, state houses, and the halls of power in Washington, DC, suggest that the nation is of multiple minds when it comes to deciding appropriate government policies in pursuit of the public good. From tax policy to reproductive rights, to entitlement reform, to opioids, to existential threats abroad, American politics is rife with policy issues that intersect squarely with religiously-driven views and constituencies. Yet the political climate in 2020 will likely not be dominated by religious voices only, especially of the conservative variety. A counter-insurgency of constituencies concerned about the political right’s embrace of certain religiously-driven policy views promises to tee off a vigorous contest not just for elected office but for the public policies that elected officials pursue.

In this climate, there is reason to provide scholarly appraisal of what religion contributes to the creation and implementation of public policies at all levels of American government. Importantly, answers may range from “a great deal” to “almost nothing”. Indeed, the point of this Special Issue is to provide interested observers with a sense of whether “religion” has a substantial role in public policy decision, and, if so, what the nature and extent of this role is. Answers to these questions will serve to provide a timely update to the literature that has shown qualified support for the notion that religion impacts public policy decisions. Scholars examining these questions from the standpoint of political science, public policy, public administration, sociology, international relations, and related disciplines are encouraged to submit an article proposal.

Prof. Dr. Brian Robert Calfano
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • religion
  • public policy
  • social issues
  • economic policy
  • national security
  • public/private partnerships
  • state and local politics
  • public administration

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 220 KiB  
Article
Power of Suggestion? Leadership Signals, Politics, Religion, and Women’s Support for the Disadvantaged
by Brian Calfano and Alexis Straka
Religions 2020, 11(12), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11120629 - 24 Nov 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2999
Abstract
We assess the role of social signals about the appropriateness of women in leadership roles in either the political or religious domain. The relevant literature leads to expectations of a relatively clear effect on women’s efficacy levels when encountering social suggestions that women’s [...] Read more.
We assess the role of social signals about the appropriateness of women in leadership roles in either the political or religious domain. The relevant literature leads to expectations of a relatively clear effect on women’s efficacy levels when encountering social suggestions that women’s skills are better used in other ways. However, less certain is whether encouraging women away from leadership in religious organizations impacts their sense of effect on political outcomes, including policies in support of disadvantaged outgroups. Utilizing a framing experiment embedded in a statewide public opinion poll, we find that social suggestion that women should stay away from religious leadership has statistically significant and negative effects on efficacy levels among our sample’s subset of evangelical women. At the same time, these anti-religious leadership signals move evangelical women away from supporting policy statements benefitting a disadvantaged outgroup. Given that it is the power of suggestion regarding religious, not political, leadership that leads to the effects among evangelical women, we offer additional paths for future research to explore on this wider topic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion’s Role in Contemporary Public Policy Controversies)
13 pages, 1404 KiB  
Article
Sacred Sites Protection and Indigenous Women’s Activism: Empowering Grassroots Social Movements to Influence Public Policy. A Look into the “Women of Standing Rock” and “Idle No More” Indigenous Movements
by Francesca Gottardi
Religions 2020, 11(8), 380; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11080380 - 23 Jul 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 7826
Abstract
Religion and public policy are interconnected across a variety of issues. One aspect where this linkage has been understudied is religion and Indigenous sacred sites protection. This article aims to address this gap by analyzing how Indigenous women’s activism advances this cause. The [...] Read more.
Religion and public policy are interconnected across a variety of issues. One aspect where this linkage has been understudied is religion and Indigenous sacred sites protection. This article aims to address this gap by analyzing how Indigenous women’s activism advances this cause. The focus is on how Indigenous Peoples, specifically women, use grassroots activism to provoke change on public policy in the context of the protection of Indigenous sacred sites. Two case studies are used to illustrate this concept: the American “Women of Standing Rock” and the Canadian “Idle No More” grassroots social movements. My analysis draws from interpretative methods. Interpretative research revolves around the concept of individuals as active producers of meaning. The women-led grassroots social movements at issue highlight a fundamental lack of awareness of the historical and current struggles of Indigenous Peoples, both in the US and Canada. Modern technologies and social media provide democratic means for grassroots social movements to be heard and empowered. The growing movement by Indigenous women to assert their rights, and their quest for self-determination in land use and sacred sites protection create a positive discourse that advances Indigenous women’s position in crossing the obstacles onto “institutional places of privilege,” hence influencing public policy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion’s Role in Contemporary Public Policy Controversies)
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22 pages, 365 KiB  
Article
People of Color, People of Faith: The Effect of Social Capital and Religion on the Political Participation of Marginalized Communities
by Kiku Huckle and Andrea Silva
Religions 2020, 11(5), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11050249 - 19 May 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4797
Abstract
U.S. immigration policy over the last 100 years has changed the onus of political acculturation from public programs to private groups like churches. After this significant policy change, how do religion, social capital, and nativity intersect in the political mobilization of racial minorities? [...] Read more.
U.S. immigration policy over the last 100 years has changed the onus of political acculturation from public programs to private groups like churches. After this significant policy change, how do religion, social capital, and nativity intersect in the political mobilization of racial minorities? Furthermore, after the 1965 Hart-Celler Act, the country of origin of immigrants shifted from European countries to Latin America and Asia. Scholars have theorized that churches play a pivotal role in the socialization of immigrants by providing a place of belonging and a community willing to teach newcomers about the goings-on of American political society. How have these acculturation policies worked under new immigration populations? Previous scholarly work has connected social capital with churches, though their relationship to political participation has been minimal. We hypothesize that social capital and religious tradition have a multiplicative effect on the participation rates of believers, but that race mitigates that effect. The positioning of racial groups in broader society impacts the significance and role of churches within these communities. We use Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS) 2016 data to examine the connection between social capital, religion, and political behavior in a novel attempt to systematically identify the unique role of churches in the mobilization of racial minority communities. We use these results to suggest that the current policies of privatizing political acculturation have had less success with more recent waves of immigrants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion’s Role in Contemporary Public Policy Controversies)
21 pages, 1044 KiB  
Article
Attaining Post-Conflict Peace Using the jus post bellum Concept
by Albert W. Klein
Religions 2020, 11(4), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11040173 - 8 Apr 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4128
Abstract
To attain peace after state-on-state war, there must be a belligerent occupation to establish control and security of a defeated state—but that is not enough. There is the concept of jus post bellum concerning the vanquished, which is critically necessary in practice, yet [...] Read more.
To attain peace after state-on-state war, there must be a belligerent occupation to establish control and security of a defeated state—but that is not enough. There is the concept of jus post bellum concerning the vanquished, which is critically necessary in practice, yet insufficiently developed and understood. Providing the history and tentatively trying to determine the elements that are contained in this concept are the present article’s purpose. Tracing the concept from the earliest Christian writers to the more secular present-day authors will aid in the prospective application of jus post bellum. Scholars, military officers, statesmen, religious leaders, and humanitarians need to understand and accept the basic elements of the concept. A clear understanding of the largely religious history behind these elements should assist in their acceptance and future practical application, once these are agreed upon. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion’s Role in Contemporary Public Policy Controversies)
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11 pages, 204 KiB  
Article
U.S. Foreign Policy and the Defense of Religious Freedom in India
by Kristina M. Teater
Religions 2020, 11(3), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11030143 - 20 Mar 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3052
Abstract
The defense of religious freedom around the world is a U.S. foreign policy initiative upheld by successive administrations since the passing of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). Supported by various religious constituencies that advocate for the freedom of religion of like-minded [...] Read more.
The defense of religious freedom around the world is a U.S. foreign policy initiative upheld by successive administrations since the passing of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). Supported by various religious constituencies that advocate for the freedom of religion of like-minded individuals across borders, the U.S. government engages with foreign governments, human rights groups, and NGOs to preserve an individual’s right to freedom of religion or belief. Their results, however, are mixed, especially in diverse contexts where religious rights are deeply contested. This paper explores the advocacy effort in response to the Government of India’s crackdown on the inflow of foreign funds to NGOs, many of which are faith-based. Using the revocation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license of faith-based NGO Compassion International as a case study, this paper finds that U.S. involvement in defense of religious freedom meets counter-narratives. These counter-narratives include the preservation of state sovereignty, the protection of national interest, and the privileging of religious tolerance over religious freedom. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion’s Role in Contemporary Public Policy Controversies)
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