The Political Behavior of American Catholics: an Assessment of the Impact of Group Integration Vs. Group Identification

Abstract

IN RECENT years scholars have given increasing attention to the politics of American Catholics (Reichley 1984; Formicola and Stark 1986; Hoffman 1986; Leege and Welch 1986). Much of this attention has involved comparing the political attitudes and behavior of Catholics with those of non-Catholics (Greely 1977; Lopatto 1985; Reichley 1984 and 1986). Attention has also been given to comparing the political attitudes and behavior of Catholics over time and to explaining variance in Catholics' political attitudes and behavior (Fee 1976; Dionne 1981; Penning 1986). Efforts to explain the political attitudes and behavior of American Catholics suggest that a variety of factors have shaped Catholics' politics. Some studies emphasize the impact of immigration and ethnicity, pointing out that during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, immigrant Catholics tended to settle in Northern cities dominated by the Democratic party (Dionne 1981; Lopatto 1985). There, a close link between the Democratic party and Catholics developed, with the party benefiting from Catholic support and Catholics using the party as a tool to facilitate social assimilation and economic advancement. Although these partisan ties have weakened over the years, they continue to influence American Catholics (Hanna 1979; Kellstedt 1986; Leege and Welch 1986). A second explanation of Catholics' political attitudes and behavior stresses the importance of social class. This explanation suggests that American Catholics, faced with economic discrimination by Protestants, found it exceedingly difficult to prosper financially. An important consequence of this situation was the attraction of Catholics to the Democratic party, with its relatively greater advocacy of social egalitarianism and welfare-state liberalism (Greer 1961; Greeley 1977). Finally, some studies have noted that election-specific, short-term variables such as the presence of Catholic candidates for public office have also had an important impact on Catholics' political attitudes and behavior. For example, the nomination of Catholics Al Smith (1928) and John F. Kennedy (1960) as Democratic presidential candidates may have