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Christian Right Horticulture: Grassroots Support in a Republican Primary Campaign

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2008

Paul A. Djupe  and
Jacob R. Neiheisel
Paul A. Djupe*
Affiliation:
Denison University
Jacob R. Neiheisel
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin at Madison
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Paul A. Djupe, Department of Political Science, Denison University, Granville, OH 43023-0810. E-mail: djupe@denison.edu
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Abstract

Seizing upon the opportunity afforded by a Republican primary contest in which a candidate backed by the Christian Right took on a candidate with connections to the party establishment, we examine the strength of the Christian right at the grassroots in Ohio. Using individual-level data compiled from an original survey instrument administered to over 1,000 Republican primary voters just after the May, 2006 primary, we present a more comprehensive model of both Christian Right support and the effect of Christian Right support on the vote choice. Instead of assuming a grassroots presence underpinning the movement, we assert and test the argument that natural elements of the social structure inhibit effective group access to collections of supporters. In doing so, we provide an explanation for the often observed gulf between movement identifiers and opinion-based supporters.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , April 2008 , pp. 55 - 84
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Research Section of the American Political Science Association 2008

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