A Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Religion on the Perception of Economic Inequality

This study examines how beliefs, practices, and affiliations affect how individuals perceive economic inequality and their redistributive preferences. Using data from the General Social Survey (GSS) and a sample of 1,622 respondents, binary logistic regression models were applied to explore these relationships. The findings reveal that religious practices, particularly prayer frequency, are the most consistent predictors of perceptions of inequality. Individuals who pray daily or weekly are significantly less likely to perceive high economic inequality compared to infrequent or non-prayers. In contrast, religious affiliation, including specific denominations such as Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish, and doctrinal beliefs like belief in the afterlife, exhibit minimal influence on perceptions or redistributive preferences. This distinction highlights the dominance of religious practices over nominal affiliations in shaping economic attitudes. This research underscores the importance of re-evaluation of categorizations of religiosity based on affiliation. As the U.S. religious landscape evolves with increasing non-affiliation, and religious nones, policymakers must consider these shifts when assessing public opinion and policy design. This research thus contributes to a deeper understanding of what actual religious factors influence economic perceptions and policy preferences. Additionally, the study highlights that the rise in religious non-affiliation could lead to misclassification and misidentification of individuals’ ideological leanings thus resulting in inaccurate estimates about support for policies. This paper therefore highlights the need for updating policy tools to better capture the evolving religious landscape and its impact on socioeconomic attitudes.