New book examines religion's role in 2008 presidential campaign

Religion mattered a great deal in the 2008 election, but President Obama was not a “game-changer” in the role of religion in electoral politics, according to Kevin den Dulk, associate professor of political science at Grand Valley.

Professor den Dulk, along with co-author Corwin Smidt, will talk about their new book, Disappearing God Gap: Religion’s Role in the 2008 Presidential Elections and Beyond, on Tuesday, March 16, from 10-11:30 a.m., at the Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, D.C.

“What we found is that religion persisted as an important factor in citizen voting, even in an election dominated by concerns about the economy and wars overseas,” said den Dulk. “What we didn’t find is that the Obama campaign was a significant game-changer in the interaction of religion and voting. While some religious voting blocs moved a bit toward the Democrats, the overall story was the familiar pattern of the highly religious voting Republican.”

For more information, contact Kevin den Dulk at (616) 331-2991 or Brookings Institution at (202) 797-6000.