Research & Polls
Site last published: 02/03/10
Research & Polls
Polls
Two common misconceptions about Catholics are that they vote as their bishops would like them to and that their vote is monolithic. Polls show that the majority of Catholics disagree with the bishops about a wide range of sexual and reproductive health issues. In fact, on these and many other issues, Catholics tend to mirror the electorate at large.
Survey of Voters in Four Congressional Districts for Catholics for Choice
A series of opinion polls on healthcare reform in four Congressional Districts reveals how out of touch some political leaders are with the views of the electorate. The polls, taken in the districts of four Catholic representatives who supported the restrictions on abortion imposed by the Stupak-Pitts amendment, show that voters do not agree with proposed healthcare reform legislation on the issue of insurance coverage for abortion. The tightened restrictions on abortion were added to the House’s version of the bill in the only amendment that the Democratic leadership allowed in the House vote on healthcare, due in large part to lobbying by the US bishops.
Click here for an executive summary of the results.
Read Individual District results: Maine’s 2nd, Ohio’s 9th, Pennsylvania’s 14th and Texas’ 16th.
Catholic Voters' Views on Health Care Reform and Reproductive Health Care Services
According to a new poll of Catholic voters carried out by Belden Russonello and Stewart for Catholics for Choice, Catholics support healthcare reform and support a plan that would include funding for abortion. The vast majority of those polled, 84 percent, attend church regularly, from several times a week to a few times a year. The results show that the views of Catholics have been seriously misrepresented by the US bishops and by conservative Catholics in the debate over healthcare reform.
To read a one-page summary of the poll, click here.
To read the entire poll with detailed findings, click here.
Catholics Similar to Mainstream on Abortion, Stem Cells
Despite the Roman Catholic Church's official opposition to abortion and embryonic stem-cell research, a Gallup analysis finds almost no difference between rank-and-file American Catholics and American non-Catholics in terms of finding the two issues morally acceptable.
This article originally appeared in a Gallup poll.
To link to the full article "Catholics Similar to Mainstream on Abortion, Stem Cells," click here.
Secular and Security-Minded: The Catholic Vote in Summer 2008
The 2008 survey explores a diversity of issues, including Catholic voters’ presidential preference, attitudes toward economic and national security issues, the war in Iraq, immigration, and social issues including abortion, pharmacist refusals to fill prescriptions for birth control, gay marriage, and abstinence-only education. The survey also investigates Catholic voters’ opinions of the Catholic Church’s involvement in political issues. Some questions track attitudes from the 2004 survey.
The View from Mainstream America: The Catholic Voter in Summer 2004
The largest poll of American Catholic attitudes and positions on key election issues in 2004. More than 2200 Catholics, including an oversample of Hispanics, answered questions regarding the war in Iraq, national security, gay marriage, stem cell research, abortion, education, Medicaid and Social Security and the Catholic bishops' denial of communion and involvement in politics.
The Pew Forum's "U.S. Religious Landscape Survey"
To link to the full report, click here.
To view the Washington Times article, "How Catholics think, act" with select statistics on Catholics from the Pew Forum's survey, click here.
The Facts Tell the Story: Catholics and Choice
How do Catholics feel about abortion? This new brochure gives a quick but comprehensive sampling of the most up to date public opinion data available and shows that the majority of Catholics support the right to choose.
The Facts Tell the Story: Catholics and Contraception
Do Catholics support the use of contraception? This new brochure surveys public opinion data and polls to show that Catholics practice and support the use of contraception at the same rates as non-Catholics.
Research
It is important for policy makers to understand their rights as Catholics as well as the fact that conservative religious groups have been aggressively political in their attempts to recraft social policy. Below is a wide variety of research on issues pertaining to Catholics—including sexual and reproductive health and rights, women’s and social justice—as well as the growing activism of right wing Catholic groups and the bishops. Also see Catholic Teachings for more information.
Opposition Notes
Opposition Notes is a new series of investigative fact sheets that exposes the tactics and beliefs of those who oppose women's rights and reproductive health.
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights: Neither Religious nor Civil
Faithless Politics: Priests for Life Defies Constitution and Conscience
Catholic Answers: Scorning Man's Laws, Twisting God's
The American Life League: "More interested in making a statement than making a difference"
Democrats for Life: Not Prolife Democrats
The past four decades have witnessed a profound shift in the political allegiances of the Catholic church from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. It has also seen the emergence of “prolife” Democratic elected officials who claim to represent the authentic position of the church on life issues. This report examines the shifting allegiances of the Catholic hierarchy, as well as the self-proclaimed prolife Catholic Democrats who have served—or are serving—in the United States Congress.
Polls
Two common misconceptions about Catholics are that they vote as their bishops would like them to and that their vote is monolithic. Polls show that the majority of Catholics disagree with the bishops about a wide range of sexual and reproductive health issues. In fact, on these and many other issues, Catholics tend to mirror the electorate at large.
Survey of Voters in Four Congressional Districts for Catholics for Choice
A series of opinion polls on healthcare reform in four Congressional Districts reveals how out of touch some political leaders are with the views of the electorate. The polls, taken in the districts of four Catholic representatives who supported the restrictions on abortion imposed by the Stupak-Pitts amendment, show that voters do not agree with proposed healthcare reform legislation on the issue of insurance coverage for abortion. The tightened restrictions on abortion were added to the House’s version of the bill in the only amendment that the Democratic leadership allowed in the House vote on healthcare, due in large part to lobbying by the US bishops.
Click here for an executive summary of the results.
Read Individual District results: Maine’s 2nd, Ohio’s 9th, Pennsylvania’s 14th and Texas’ 16th.
Catholic Voters' Views on Health Care Reform and Reproductive Health Care Services
According to a new poll of Catholic voters carried out by Belden Russonello and Stewart for Catholics for Choice, Catholics support healthcare reform and support a plan that would include funding for abortion. The vast majority of those polled, 84 percent, attend church regularly, from several times a week to a few times a year. The results show that the views of Catholics have been seriously misrepresented by the US bishops and by conservative Catholics in the debate over healthcare reform.
To read a one-page summary of the poll, click here.
To read the entire poll with detailed findings, click here.
Catholics Similar to Mainstream on Abortion, Stem Cells
Despite the Roman Catholic Church's official opposition to abortion and embryonic stem-cell research, a Gallup analysis finds almost no difference between rank-and-file American Catholics and American non-Catholics in terms of finding the two issues morally acceptable.
This article originally appeared in a Gallup poll.
To link to the full article "Catholics Similar to Mainstream on Abortion, Stem Cells," click here.
Secular and Security-Minded: The Catholic Vote in Summer 2008
The 2008 survey explores a diversity of issues, including Catholic voters’ presidential preference, attitudes toward economic and national security issues, the war in Iraq, immigration, and social issues including abortion, pharmacist refusals to fill prescriptions for birth control, gay marriage, and abstinence-only education. The survey also investigates Catholic voters’ opinions of the Catholic Church’s involvement in political issues. Some questions track attitudes from the 2004 survey.
The View from Mainstream America: The Catholic Voter in Summer 2004
The largest poll of American Catholic attitudes and positions on key election issues in 2004. More than 2200 Catholics, including an oversample of Hispanics, answered questions regarding the war in Iraq, national security, gay marriage, stem cell research, abortion, education, Medicaid and Social Security and the Catholic bishops' denial of communion and involvement in politics.
The Pew Forum's "U.S. Religious Landscape Survey"
To link to the full report, click here.
To view the Washington Times article, "How Catholics think, act" with select statistics on Catholics from the Pew Forum's survey, click here.
The Facts Tell the Story: Catholics and Choice
How do Catholics feel about abortion? This new brochure gives a quick but comprehensive sampling of the most up to date public opinion data available and shows that the majority of Catholics support the right to choose.
The Facts Tell the Story: Catholics and Contraception
Do Catholics support the use of contraception? This new brochure surveys public opinion data and polls to show that Catholics practice and support the use of contraception at the same rates as non-Catholics.
Research
It is important for policy makers to understand their rights as Catholics as well as the fact that conservative religious groups have been aggressively political in their attempts to recraft social policy. Below is a wide variety of research on issues pertaining to Catholics—including sexual and reproductive health and rights, women’s and social justice—as well as the growing activism of right wing Catholic groups and the bishops. Also see Catholic Teachings for more information.
Opposition Notes
Opposition Notes is a new series of investigative fact sheets that exposes the tactics and beliefs of those who oppose women's rights and reproductive health.
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights: Neither Religious nor Civil
Faithless Politics: Priests for Life Defies Constitution and Conscience
Catholic Answers: Scorning Man's Laws, Twisting God's
The American Life League: "More interested in making a statement than making a difference"
Democrats for Life: Not Prolife Democrats
The past four decades have witnessed a profound shift in the political allegiances of the Catholic church from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. It has also seen the emergence of “prolife” Democratic elected officials who claim to represent the authentic position of the church on life issues. This report examines the shifting allegiances of the Catholic hierarchy, as well as the self-proclaimed prolife Catholic Democrats who have served—or are serving—in the United States Congress.
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