In some religious countries, churches have drafted constitutions, restricted abortion, and controlled education. In others, church influence on public policy is far weaker. Why? Nations under God argues that where religious and national identities have historically fused, churches gain enormous moral authority--and covert institutional access. These powerful churches then shape policy in backrooms and secret meetings instead of through open democratic channels such as political parties or the ballot box. Through an in-depth historical analysis of six Christian democracies that share similar religious profiles yet differ in their policy outcomes--Ireland and Italy, Poland and Croatia, and the United States and Canada--Anna Grzyma?a-Busse examines how churches influenced education, abortion, divorce, stem cell research, and same-sex marriage. She argues that churches gain the greatest political advantage when they appear to be above politics. Because institutional access is covert, they retain their moral authority and their reputation as defenders of the national interest and the common good. Nations under God shows how powerful church officials in Ireland, Canada, and Poland have directly written legislation, vetoed policies, and vetted high-ranking officials. It demonstrates that religiosity itself is not enough for churches to influence politics--churches in Italy and Croatia, for example, are not as influential as we might think--and that churches allied to political parties, such as in the United States, have less influence than their notoriety suggests.

About the Author
Anna Grzyma?a-Busse is the Ronald and Eileen Weiser Professor of European and Eurasian Studies at the University of Michigan. Her books include Rebuilding Leviathan: Party Competition and State Exploitation in Post-Communist Democracies.

Reviews
Winner of the 2016 Best Book Award, European Politics and Society Section of the American Political Science Association "[An] excellent volume."--Choice "A landmark contribution... It blends statistical analysis, qualitative paired comparisons, and formal theory into an argument that is both theoretically nuanced and empirically rich... Nations under God should be kept on a shelf within arm's reach as scholars grapple with these questions."--David T. Buckley, Journal of Church and State "An original and insightful argument that is essential to understanding the role of religious institutions in politics."--Jonathan Fox, Perspectives on Politics



Book Information
ISBN 9780691164762
Author Anna M. Grzymala-Busse
Format Paperback
Page Count 440
Imprint Princeton University Press
Publisher Princeton University Press
Weight(grams) 567g