Center Update: Tracking Faith in the 2012 Election

While economic issues overshadow the 2012 election campaign, questions of faith and values have taken on an unanticipated significance. The emergence of same-sex marriage has reanimated the culture wars that have long raged on the abortion issue. Ten years after September 11, the full incorporation of Muslims into American society remains contested, as does the right approach to extremism and terrorism abroad. And the personal faith of the candidates – from the Mormonism of Mitt Romney to the Evangelical convictions of Rick Perry – continue to generate controversy.

We have begun to track this emerging discourse on the Berkley Center’s Knowledge Resources site. Visitors can compare quotes across candidates and issue areas and keep up with the latest media coverage. The Resources also feature a database of religious rhetoric from the 2008 campaign and a collection that tracks the discourse of US presidents throughout history.

>> Faith in the 2012 Election Homepage
>> Faith 2012 Interactive Candidates Grid
>> Faith in the 2008 Election
>> Religion and Politics in US History

Tom Banchoff
Director, Berkley Center