Below are three maps. I posted the last two maps on Saturday. The first map is one I have constructed based on data from Gallup. It measures weekly or near weekly attendance at church or synagogue. The Charitable Giving and Election maps seem to correspond a little more tightly than the Church attendance maps, but all three together show a pattern: High weekly church attendance, charitable giving, and voting conservative (or at least Republican) seem to cluster together.
Indeed, perhaps because all three of them are characteristic of communities which have been in the USA for well over a century living in small towns – based on ideas suggested in recent comments here. My point is that observed correlations by no means imply causality.
“My point is that observed correlations by no means imply causality.”
Abosolutely! One of these variables could be driving the other two, a fourth variable could be driving all three, and there could two or more variables feeding on each other.
Brooks’ book is written for popular consumption so we don’t get the level of documentation and elaboration you would get in a journal article. From his reasearch he believes the driving variable is church attendance. That would fit with a host of other things I have seen in the study of the sociology of religion over the years.
Greetings;
Here’s a potential article for your site. Please share so others have a chance to donate, too. Thank you.
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