Religion and Brazilian Democracy

Amy Erica Smith is associate professor of political science at Iowa State University. Smith's research has attracted funding from the National Science Foundation, Fulbright, Mellon, and Templeton, and the Award for Early Achievement in Research at Iowa State University. Her work on democracy in developing countries has appeared in top political science journals and in the Portuguese-language book, Legitimidade e qualidade da democracia no Brasil: Uma visão da cidadania (2011; with Lucio Rennó, Matthew Layton, and Frederico Batista Pereira).

• Part I. Introduction: 1. Introduction; 2. Clergy, congregants, and religious politicians; 3. Methods and case studies; Part II. What Clergy Think, Say, and Do: 4. What clergy think and say: religious teachings and political views; 5. What clergy do: encouraging partisan and electoral politics; Part III. How Congregants Respond: 6. Church influence on citizens' policy views and partisanship; 7. Church influence on voting behavior; 8. Church influence on citizen support for democracy; Part IV. Representation: 9. The representational triangle; 10. Conclusion: mobilizing the people of God.

'Smith expertly and seamlessly draws together observational research, interviews, multiple surveys, and experiments to provide a breathtakingly comprehensive account of the complex dynamics that connect clergy, congregants, and politics. As they compete for souls and resources in a fluid religious marketplace, clergy are capable of strengthening democratic commitment and participation … and of reinforcing conservative politics to tip the balance of Brazil's culture and politics. This extraordinary book will engage and enlighten all those who seek to understand the intersection of religion and democracy in Brazil and beyond.' Elizabeth J. Zechmeister, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee