No, Politics isn’t Replacing Religion

Daniel A. Cox September 22, 2022

Artist rendition of protestors holding signs

Neither is Spirituality, Science, or Work

One of the most interesting aspects of Pew’s new report “ Modeling the Future of Religion in America,” is how little comment the findings generated. According to Pew, America’s religious future does not include many fewer Christians. They project the number of Christians living in the US to drop to about half the total population or plummet to one-third over the next five decades. A society in which only one of every three Americans is Christian is almost unrecognizable today, and yet it remains a distinct possibility. 

It’s one of eight scenarios Pew lays out in an attempt to predict the transformation of American religion over the next half-century. There are several variables at play—including the pace of disaffiliation, religious retention, birth rates, and patterns of immigration—all of which provide unique sources of volatility and variation. 

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Survey Reports

Generation Z and the Transformation of American Adolescence Cover Image

Daniel A. Cox, Kelsey Eyre Hammond, Kyle Gray
November 9, 2023

Generation Z and the Transformation of American Adolescence: How Gen Z’s Formative Experiences Shape Its Politics, Priorities, and Future

This report explores the foundational differences between American generations through their formative adolescent experiences.

Young man sitting in a dark room before a wall featuring various conspiracy theory-related items illuminated by a computer screen

Daniel A. Cox, M. Anthony Mills, Ian R. Banks, Kelsey Eyre Hammond, Kyle Gray
September 28, 2023

America’s Crisis of Confidence: Rising Mistrust, Conspiracies, and Vaccine Hesitancy After COVID-19

America is experiencing a crosscutting crisis of expertise and scientific distrust accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic that poses significant challenges to democratic debate and public decision-making

A cartoon showing a vibrant office from the ceiling view.

Daniel A. Cox, Brent Orrell, Kyle Gray, Jessie Wall
September 14, 2023

The Social Workplace: Social Capital, Human Dignity, and Work in America, Volume II

The Social Workplace, Volume II examines Americans’ expectations and experiences surrounding work, the workplace, and key job-related priorities such as pay and interpersonal connections.

An empty debate stage featuring red and blue podiums below a stage light face an audience of nearly-empty seats.

Daniel A. Cox, Ruy Teixeira
June 29, 2023

The 2024 Presidential Election: Evolving Political Coalitions and Familiar Partisan Divisions

Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, the AEI Survey Center on American Life conducted a national survey of Americans that explored a wide range of political attitudes, current voting preferences, and perceptions of the political parties.