Explaining Religious Party Strength: State Capacity, Social Services, and Religious Civil Society

Explaining Religious Party Strength explores why religious political parties are electorally successful in some countries but not in others.

Drawing on insights from political science and sociology, this book argues that religious parties are typically formed for defensive reasons, reacting against state-builders’ attempts to secularize public services such as education, welfare, and healthcare. Building on these findings, the author argues that the strength of religious parties is determine...