Explaining Religious Party Strength

<p><em>Explaining Religious Party Strength</em> explores why religious political parties are electorally successful in some countries but not in others.</p><p>Drawing on insights from political science and sociology this book argues that religious parties are typically formed for defensive reasons reacting against state-builders’ attempts to secularize public services such as education welfare and healthcare. Building on these findings the author argues that the strength of religious parties is determined by the infrastructural power of the state. Weak states that fail to provide adequate public services open up space for religious communities to build a dense network of private schools hospitals and charities which translates into votes for religious political parties. By contrast strong states that provide efficient public services squeeze out private welfare providers undermining the electoral strength of religious political parties. The author tests this theory through statistical analysis using a new dataset on all religious parties which have participated in national parliamentary elections between 1800 and 2015. He includes comparative historical analyses of Roman Catholic political parties in France and Italy and Sunni Islamic political parties in Egypt Turkey and Albania.</p><p>This book will interest students and scholars of religion and politics specifically those interested in party formation voting and political activism as well as policymakers.</p>