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Candidate Religious Affiliations and Voters` Stereotypes
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Catholics have long played a salient role in American politics. As a result, much research has focused on Catholic voters and their effect on electoral politics. At the same time, however, relatively little research has looked at the other side of the electoral equation – Catholic candidates and their potential electoral effects. This paper looks at the effects of Catholic candidates on individual voters; specifically, it hypothesizes that individuals stereotype Catholic candidates based on the voting behavior of Catholics in general, and that these stereotypes help them make a voting decision under conditions of low information. Using data from the American National Election Studies (ANES) and Gallup, it tests whether stereotypes of Catholics have been based on actual Catholic political behavior – solidly Democratic from the 1950s to the 1970s, but trending Republican starting in the 1980s. In addition, it looks at whether this stereotype is used by individuals when they are faced with making a voting decision about a Catholic candidate. The results demonstrate that hypothetical Catholic candidates enjoyed a general advantage among Democratic voters – not just Catholics – from the 1950s to 1970s, but that this advantage reversed in the 1980s, at which point Republican voters became significantly more supportive of hypothetical Catholic candidates than Democratic voters.
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| | Authors: McDermott, Monika. |
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Catholics have long played a salient role in American politics. As a result, much research
has focused on Catholic voters and their effect on electoral politics. At the same time,
however, relatively little research has looked at the other side of the electoral equation –
Catholic candidates and their potential electoral effects. This paper looks at the effects of
Catholic candidates on individual voters; specifically, it hypothesizes that individuals
stereotype Catholic candidates based on the voting behavior of Catholics in general, and
that these stereotypes help them make a voting decision under conditions of low
information. Using data from the American National Election Studies (ANES) and
Gallup, it tests whether stereotypes of Catholics have been based on actual Catholic
political behavior – solidly Democratic from the 1950s to the 1970s, but trending
Republican starting in the 1980s. In addition, it looks at whether this stereotype is used
by individuals when they are faced with making a voting decision about a Catholic
candidate. The results demonstrate that hypothetical Catholic candidates enjoyed a
general advantage among Democratic voters – not just Catholics – from the 1950s to
1970s, but that this advantage reversed in the 1980s, at which point Republican voters
became significantly more supportive of hypothetical Catholic candidates than
Democratic voters.
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