Latin America's Neo-Reformation: Religion's Influence on Contemporary Politics

In the past generation, Protestants have grown from 2% to as much as 25% of the population of some Latin American countries. In Europe and North America, Catholicism has traditionally been associated with authoritarian politics, whereas Protestantism is associated with democracy and capitalism. This book uses survey data to study the nexus of religion and politics in Brazil, Chile and Mexico. More specifically, Protestants and Catholics are compared in terms of political participation, democratic attitudes, and political engagement. They study finds that religious variables do impact political behavior and attitudes in the region. This book is unique in that very few studies of religion and politics in Latin America use cross-national, quantitative data. Most existing studies observe an individual group, church, or denomination; this work looks at what is happening across Brazilian, Chilean, and Mexican societies. Thus, it provides background and information on voting patterns, interest inpolitics, and religious based political parties.