{"id":303844,"date":"2026-05-14T09:51:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T13:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?p=303844"},"modified":"2026-05-14T10:35:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T14:35:43","slug":"how-americans-feel-about-religions-influence-in-government-and-public-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/2026\/05\/14\/how-americans-feel-about-religions-influence-in-government-and-public-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How Americans Feel About Religion\u2019s Influence in Government and Public Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are sharp partisan divides on whether religion\u2019s influence is good or bad and how far that influence should go<\/h2>\n\n\n
About this research<\/summary>\n

This Pew Research Center report examines the views of U.S. adults on religion\u2019s role in public life, including questions about religion\u2019s influence in society, Christian nationalism and the relationship of church and state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pew Research Center conducts high-quality research to inform the public, journalists and leaders. Studying Americans’ views on religion’s role in public life is a key part of the Center\u2019s long-standing research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Pew Research Center<\/a> and our religion research<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This analysis includes findings from a survey of 3,592 U.S. adults who are part of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel (ATP)<\/a>. The survey was conducted April 6-12, 2026, and has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the questions used<\/a> for this analysis, along with responses<\/a> and the survey methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of what the White House is calling a \u201clarge-scale revival\u201d meeting on the National Mall devoted to \u201crededicating our country as One Nation under God<\/a>,\u201d a new Pew Research Center survey shows that a growing minority of U.S. adults say religion is gaining influence in American life. And more than half say religion plays a positive role in society.<\/p>\n\n\n

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37% of U.S. adults now say religion is gaining influence, the highest share since 2002 <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
% of U.S. adults who say religion is __ in American life<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n
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Note: Dotted line indicates a change in survey mode between 2016 and 2019. Data from 2019 and after comes from Pew Research Center\u2019s American Trends Panel (ATP); 2016 and earlier used telephone surveys. The wording of the question on the telephone surveys was slightly different than on the ATP. Refer to the topline for details.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 6-12, 2026.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\u201cHow Americans Feel About Religion\u2019s Influence in Government and Public Life\u201d<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t