| This dissertation uses data from the American National Election Survey (ANES) to investigate if the Christian Right's presence amongst the American electorate has expanded in size and influence in the national elections from 1968 to 2004. The primary findings of the research are that while the Christian Right has an influential political presence (especially within the Republican party), its voting patterns and its ability to affect national electoral outcomes has remained largely constant over the 1968-2004 period. Building on the efforts of numerous scholars (e.g., Koopman 2001, Layman and Carmines 1997, Manza and Brooks 1997 and Regnerus, Sikkink and Smith 1999, Himmelstein and McRae, Jr. 1984, Bednar and Hertzke 1995, Green and Guth 1988 and Green, Guth and Wilcox 1998), my contribution will be to examine the Christian Right's political influence. Since much attention has been given to the Christian Right as a voting bloc, I will examine the Evangelical Protestants' presence among the electorate and the Republican Party. Next, I will explore the Christian Right as issue voters. These voters were first mobilized because of social issues. |
