The USA and Western Europe Compared: How the ‘God Gap’ Led the USA to Join the Religious World of Morality Politics

Abstract

This chapter compares the USA’s experience of morality politics with its counterpart in Western Europe.¹ While morality politics in the USA, often discussed as ‘culture wars’ or ‘cultural conflict’ (Hunter 1991; Wolfe 1998; Oldmixon 2005; Fiorina et al. 2006), has often been analyzed, only rarely has it been put into comparative perspective (Cohan 1986; Krabbendam and Napel 2000; Studlar 2001; Smith and Tatalovich 2003). Furthermore, these comparisons tend to be limited, both in terms of data and countries covered. By systematically comparing the USA with several European countries, both in the religious and secular worlds, this chapter is able to offer a broader perspective.