Religion matters politically in America, and always has. Religious ideas -- and ideas about religion -- punctuate both early debates about the U.S. Constitution and present-day debates about civil rights and civil liberties. Religion influences opinion, voting, and lawmaking. Religious congregations, service agencies, and charities, many with public funding, predominate in the nation's vast and growing nonprofit sector. Religious leaders influence U.S. public policy and programs, both domestic and international. This seminar explores the historical, intellectual, constitutional, electoral, and institutional dimensions of religious leadership and U.S. public policy.
