Political geography, church attendance, and mass preferences regarding democratic representation

Barker, D.C. and Carman, C.J. (2009) Political geography, church attendance, and mass preferences regarding democratic representation. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 19(2), pp. 125-145. (doi: 10.1080/17457280902798941)

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Abstract

The extent to which elected officials are chosen to either lead their constituents, on the one hand, or follow their wishes, on the other, is one of the foundational questions that republican forms of government must consider. Contemporary research, however, has thus far offered little analysis of the manner and extent to which mass public preferences vary on this dimension. In this article, we present an analysis that clusters respondents to a large N survey according to the dominant political subculture in which they reside. Our analysis finds that individuals residing in “moralistic” states who are heavily immersed in community churches tend to hold “trustee” oriented representational preferences, while people in individualistic states tend toward a preference for “delegates”.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Carman, Professor Christopher
Authors: Barker, D.C., and Carman, C.J.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
Journal Name:Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties
ISSN:1745-7289
Published Online:13 May 2009

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