Religiosity and Public Policy in Congress: A text analysis of US federal legislators’ religious rhetoric and policy attitudes

Article 6 of the US Constitution prohibits religious requirements for federal public office. Nevertheless, virtually all current and former members of the US Congress self-identify as religious. 6 Because many US voters perceive religious politicians to be more trustworthy than their non-religious competitors (Clifford and Gaskins, 2016, 1066) and expect their campaigning candidates to invoke religious rhetoric (Coe and Chapp, 2017; Hogue, 2012), candidates frequently adopt a calculated, deliberate “God Strategy” to connect with voters (Domke and Coe, 2008). Once elected, legislators’ religious affiliations (Fastnow, Grant and Rudolph, 1999; Page et al., 1984), the contours of their religious beliefs (Green and Guth, 1991; Ya-mane and Oldmixon, 2006), and the religious breakdowns of their constituencies (Marchetti and O’Connell, 2017; Meier and McFarlane, 1993; O’Connor and Berkman, 1995; Oldmixon, 2005) all …