Politically speaking, would your congregation be considered more on the conservative side, more on the liberal side, or right in the middle? (Recoded for use with online analysis) (National Congregations Study 2006-2007)
Each question was asked of a key informant from the congregation, such as a minister, priest, rabbi, or other staff person or leader.
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[Results weighted by W1] |
Related Topics
Demographic Patterns
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Politics (Demographic Patterns)
Politics by Year Founded
| Before 1900 | 1900-1950 | 1951-1999 | 2000 or Later | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| More on the conservative side | 52.8% 186 | 62.2% 229 | 59.1% 317 | 52.7% 48 | 41 | 57.9% 780 |
| Right in the middle | 40.3% 142 | 26.9% 99 | 34.3% 184 | 40.7% 37 | 27 | 34.3% 462 |
| More on the liberal side | 6.8% 24 | 10.9% 40 | 6.5% 35 | 6.6% 6 | 6 | 7.8% 105 |
| MISSING | 7 | 20 | 36 | 8 | 0 | 71 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 352 | 100.0% 368 | 100.0% 536 | 100.0% 91 | 74 | 1347 |
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Politics by Adult Members
| 25 or Less | 26-50 | 51-100 | 101-200 | More than 200 | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| More on the conservative side | 34.2% 66 | 64.1% 229 | 66.5% 232 | 61.2% 167 | 51.0% 127 | 0 | 57.8% 821 |
| Right in the middle | 60.1% 116 | 28.3% 101 | 25.5% 89 | 31.1% 85 | 39.4% 98 | 1 | 34.4% 489 |
| More on the liberal side | 5.7% 11 | 7.6% 27 | 8.0% 28 | 7.7% 21 | 9.6% 24 | 0 | 7.8% 111 |
| MISSING | 7 | 18 | 26 | 18 | 12 | 0 | 81 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 193 | 100.0% 357 | 100.0% 349 | 100.0% 273 | 100.0% 249 | 1 | 1421 |
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Politics by Region of the Country
| New England or Mid-Atlantic | East North Central or West North Central | South Atlantic, East South Central, or West South Central | Mountain or Pacific | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| More on the conservative side | 48.9% 93 | 60.5% 225 | 58.4% 388 | 59.3% 115 | 57.8% 821 |
| Right in the middle | 38.4% 73 | 32.3% 120 | 35.8% 238 | 29.9% 58 | 34.4% 489 |
| More on the liberal side | 12.6% 24 | 7.3% 27 | 5.7% 38 | 10.8% 21 | 7.7% 110 |
| MISSING | 8 | 13 | 51 | 12 | 84 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 190 | 100.0% 372 | 100.0% 664 | 100.0% 194 | 1420 |
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Politics by Religious Tradition
| Roman Catholic | White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist | Black Protestant | White liberal or moderate | Non-Christian | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| More on the conservative side | 39.2% 29 | 75.9% 524 | 41.8% 140 | 44.1% 123 | 13.6% 6 | 57.8% 822 |
| Right in the middle | 54.1% 40 | 21.3% 147 | 50.4% 169 | 41.6% 116 | 38.6% 17 | 34.4% 489 |
| More on the liberal side | 6.8% 5 | 2.8% 19 | 7.8% 26 | 14.3% 40 | 47.7% 21 | 7.8% 111 |
| MISSING | 5 | 47 | 20 | 6 | 6 | 84 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 74 | 100.0% 690 | 100.0% 335 | 100.0% 279 | 100.0% 44 | 1422 |
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Politics by Theology
| More on the conservative side | Right in the middle | More on the liberal side | Missing | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| More on the conservative side | 79.4% 705 | 25.9% 106 | 8.3% 10 | 0 | 57.9% 821 |
| Right in the middle | 19.7% 175 | 69.4% 284 | 24.2% 29 | 1 | 34.4% 488 |
| More on the liberal side | 0.9% 8 | 4.6% 19 | 67.5% 81 | 3 | 7.6% 108 |
| MISSING | 26 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 888 | 100.0% 409 | 100.0% 120 | 4 | 1417 |
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Politics by Year
| 1998 | 2006 | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| More on the conservative side | 61.3% 718 | 57.8% 822 | 59.4% 1540 |
| Right in the middle | 30.8% 361 | 34.4% 489 | 32.8% 850 |
| More on the liberal side | 7.9% 93 | 7.8% 111 | 7.9% 204 |
| MISSING | 62 | 84 | 146 |
| TOTAL | 100.0% 1172 | 100.0% 1422 | 2594 |
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Notes
The National Congregations Study (NCS) dataset "fills a void in the sociological study of congregations by providing, for the first time, data that can be used to draw a nationally aggregate picture of congregations" (Chaves et al. 1999, p.460). Thanks to innovations in sampling techniques, the NCS data is the first nationally representative sample of American congregations. In 2006-07, a panel component was added to the NCS. In addition to the new cross-section of congregations generated in conjunction with the 2006 General Social Survey (GSS), a stratified random sample was drawn from congregations who participated in the 1998 NCS. The 2006-07 NCS sample, then, includes a subset of cases that were also interviewed in 1998. A full codebook, prepared by the primary investigator, is available for download here. The codebook contains the original questionnaire, as well as detailed information on survey methodology, weights, coding, and more.
