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Religion and Core Values: A Reformulation of the Funnel of Causality
Author(s) -
Gainous Jason,
Radunovich Bill
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
politics and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.259
H-Index - 23
eISSN - 1747-1346
pISSN - 1555-5623
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-1346.2005.tb00213.x
Subject(s) - egalitarianism , causality (physics) , politics , funnel , social psychology , core (optical fiber) , sociology , traditionalism , positive economics , belief system , psychology , political science , law , economics , humanities , ethnology , philosophy , chemistry , physics , materials science , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , composite material
This study reformulates the classic funnel of causality proposed in The American Voter. where The American Voter suggests that group aftiliation and values are equally influential in candidate choice, the foundational sociological literature suggest that values are derived from group aflliation, and therefore The American Voter has misconceptualized the ordering of these influences. We concur with the sociological literature, which suggests that values are more proximate to that decision than is group affiliation. Examining data from a 2002 statewide survey of Florida residents, and using religious aftiliation as a measure of group aftiliation, we explore the effects of political core values, such as egalitarianism and moral traditionalism, and religious affiliation on support for Florida Governor Jeb Bush and vote intentions. We employ ordered logistical models to test our Proximity Hypothesis, finding support for the contention that in the process offorming an attitude about a political candidate, core values are more proximate to the final attitude than is group aftiliation. This finding is an important contribution to the debate in political behavior over the relative influence of individual belief systems and groups.