Blog 5: Political Identity

Political Identity

            Although the LDS church officially espouses no particular political party, a political identity among Latter-Day Saints does exist.  Political Identity is defined as “any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions, especially when it is the most important identity to do so.”[1] A large number of Saints, albeit not all, identify themselves as Republicans. This affiliation is due to the fact that Mormons are, generally, a conservative people. The Republican Party’s stance on social issues is a contributing factor as to why many conservative Christians, not just Latter-Day Saints, identify with this party. When it comes to the Saints in particular, there is most definitely a political identity throughout the United States, not just in Utah. 

            The presence of a political identity among the Saints is a nationwide occurrence and not limited by region. The tie between Mormonism and the Republican Party is strongest in Utah, with Saints in Utah “nine times as likely to be Republicans than Democrats,” while across the country, 59 percent of Latter-Day Saints affiliate with the Republican party compared to fourteen percent choosing the Democratic Party.[2] This political identity is primarily due to the issues of the day and the Mormon reaction to them.

In the eighteenth century, Mormon politics were focused around local parties. It wasn’t until Utah was being considered for statehood that Mormons had to streamline their political preferences. When that happened, an overwhelming majority identified with the Democrat Party because it fit their needs and desires for admittance to the Union.[3] The nineteenth century saw more Mormons affiliating with the Republican Party as a large number of Saints, in the latter half of the century, shifted their political alliance to the more conservative Republican Party when “the Democratic Party started to adopt some moral positions that conflicted with LDS teachings.”[4]

When it comes to understanding political identity, there are two main theories that can be applied. The first is primordialism, which asserts that “political identities are innate and largely unchanging.”[5] This theory gives the sense that one’s political identity is essentially shaped for them by their surroundings and that the outcome is what it is and cannot be changed. The other theory to consider is constructivism. This theory suggests that “individuals have some choice over their political identities, but that such choice is constrained by social context.”[6] What this theory basically argues is that although society will inevitably have an influence in the choices we make, it does not dictate the answers for us and we still have the ultimate choice in our political identities.

As we have already determined that there is in fact a political identity amongst Latter-Day Saints, the question turns towards which theory best explains its presence. In this case, constructivism is the only one that accounts for the mass shift of political identity in the nineteenth century. The primordialism argument has no way of accounting for the fact that the majority of Mormons were once Democrats and, then roughly four decades ago, chose to become Republicans. Under the primordialism theory, Mormons should still be democrats. The constructivism theory, however, accounts for the ability of individuals to make a decision, and that opportunity to choose accounts for the presence of change. Also to consider, is the fact that although the majority of Mormons around the country today are Republican, there is still a significant number of Democrats. Following the theory of primordialism, Mormon Democrats today would essentially be non-existent because the choice of political identity would have been made for them and it would have been for the Republican Party.

Overall, there is most definitely a distinct Mormon political identity and this identity result from the political atmosphere and what it meant for the Saints as a people. In the days of Brigham Young, the identity arose out of a desire for statehood and in the late 1900s it shifted due to the social issues of the day, which is evidence of the constructivism theory of political identity.  

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[1] Kirk Hawkins, “Political Identity” Class Lecture, October 10, 2012.

[2] Robert Gehrke, “Survey: Mormons Embrace GOP, Shun Democrats,” Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 14, 2011, http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home2/53110048-183/mormons-utah-lds-party.html.csp

[3] “Mormons and Politics,” All About Mormons, http://www.allaboutmormons.com/misconceptions_mormons_politics.php

[4] Ibid.

[5] David J. Samuels, Comparative Politics (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2012), 153.

[6] Ibid.