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In Politico | Religious groups backed workplace measures
Joanna Piacenza,
11.07.2014

A new Politico article examining the results of Tuesday’s midterm election incorporates PRRI data into a discussion about religious groups’ support for workplace measures like raising the minimum wage and extending paid sick leave:

In September, the Public Religion Research Institute, a nonpartisan research organization, released a study showing that 79 percent of white evangelical protestants, 78 percent of Catholics and 90 percent of black protestants support mandatory paid sick days. On minimum wage, 56 percent of white evangelical Protestants support an increase, with even stronger support among Catholics (77 percent) and African-American Protestants (89 percent).

Labor unions and progressive groups have been quick to note that minimum wage ballot initiatives in the traditionally red states of Nebraska, South Dakota, Alaska and Arkansas passed easily even as Democratic candidates took a drubbing. Many of the voters who pulled the lever for a state-level minimum wage increase also voted for Republicans.

That’s likely true for religious voters as well. “I don’t expect that this is going to be something that is going to shift, for example, evangelicals to being more Democratic,” said Dr. Robert P. Jones, the CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, a nonpartisan research organization. “I think evangelicals actually don’t see this as a partisan issue.”

Politico Pro members can the entire article here. Read PRRI’s  2014 American Values Survey here.