Churches as Societal Veto Players

Religious Influence in Actor-Centred Theories of Policy-Making

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6406063
AutoresSimon Fink (0000-0002-3730-5137, autor de correspondencia)
Año2009
Volumen32
Número1
Páginas77-96
Fecha de publicación2009-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaWest European Politics (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0140-2382 • E-ISSN: 1743-9655
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01402380802509826
OpenAlexW2001365827
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas31
Referencias citadas34

The article argues that the study of western democracies benefits from a conceptualisation of Christian churches as societal veto players characterised by three features: their power, which depends on their potential for mobilisation; their preferences, which can be deduced from churches' official statements and which are often outside the political spectrum; and their coherence, which determines the size of their indifference curve. Conceptualised as societal veto players, churches can be included in actor-centred theories of policy-making. Particular attention should be paid to veto points, church–state relations and religious parties, as these are the features of the political system that affect churches' behaviours. A comparative study of churches' roles in stem-cell policies illustrates the use of the concept. The study shows that the Catholic Church is a ‘stronger’ veto player than protestant churches, but that this stronger role can have paradoxical effects on the resulting policies and the policy process

Economics · Interdependence · Law and economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Power (physics · Protestantism · Sociology · Veto · Law · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Society, and Development · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology