The Protestant Political Ethos and Protest Participation in Latin America

• In Event: 4322 - Section on Political Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 07. The Sociology of Populist Movements

Abstract

As Protestantism grows in a traditionally Catholic Latin America, different analyses examine the political consequences of this transformation. Initial studies claimed the presence of a particular political ethos among Latin American Protestants, which deters them from engaging in politics. However, recent developments suggest a shift as organized Evangelical and Pentecostal groups create confessional parties and endorse fellow coreligionists in elections. Using hierarchical linear models, this research examines the political behavior of Latin American Protestants, focusing on their participation in protest events. After analyzing 18 Latin American countries in 2012 and 2014, this article finds particular individual-level and structural conditions shaping the activism of Protestants. At the micro level, Latin American Protestant activists tend to be left-wing, males, and active participants in their churches. At the structural level, countries with confessional parties and experiencing higher rates of conversion provide better conditions for the mobilization of Protestants. These results challenge previous studies suggesting the right-wing political orientation of Latin American Protestants, and show how a religious minority can improve its opportunities for mobilization by creating its own political structures and shaping social conditions.

Author

• Rodolfo Antonio Lopez, University of California-Irvine