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Religion and the demand for membership in environmental citizen groups

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Abstract

I test the hypothesis that religious affiliation is an empirical measure of tastes and beliefs that affect the demand for membership in environmental citizen groups. The number of adherents to Judeo-Christian denominations per household has a significant, negative effect on state membership rates for nine groups advocating a preservationist approach to environmental policy, particularly in states with many Catholics, Baptists and Mormons. Religious affiliation has a marginally significant, positive effect on membership rates for two sportsmen groups advocating private stewardship. These results suggest that religious affiliation should also be a significant determinant of constituent preferences for environmental policies.

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  1. Department of Political Science, Michigan State University, 311 South Kedzie Hall, East Lansing, MI, 48824-1032, USA

    Robert C. Lowry

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Lowry, R.C. Religion and the demand for membership in environmental citizen groups. Public Choice 94, 223–240 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017921310610

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