Major New Survey Debunks ‘Values Voter’ Myths

Center for American Values releases 2500-person survey on religion, values & politics

A major new survey released today by the Center for American Values in Public Life refutes some widely held assumptions about how Americans’ religious views and values influence their political behavior. The survey, part of a multi-year research project, was released on the eve of a conference on “values voters” convened by the Family Research Council and featuring a who’s who of ultraconservative activists and political leaders.

Center For American Values“There’s been a lot of talk about values voters, and a lot of that talk is just plain wrong,” said Dr. Robert Jones, executive director and senior fellow of the Center for American Values in Public Life. “Most Americans do not think restricting access to abortion and keeping gay couples from getting married are the most important issues facing voters. When Americans think about voting their values, they’re thinking primarily about candidates’ honesty and integrity.”

Jones noted that even among evangelical Christians, issues like addressing poverty and providing affordable health care handily trump restricting access to abortion and banning gay marriage.

In addition, said Jones, data from the American Values Survey indicates that hasty conclusions about the size and permanence of a partisan “God gap” have been premature. While the most frequent church attenders are still most likely to vote Republican, the gap has shrunk dramatically, and it appears that Democratic candidates have an opportunity to attract majorities of every other group, including weekly worship attenders.

(There's more, here.)