The Mormon Political Identity

With the Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, gaining in the presidential poles, having a Mormon president has become a very real option. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have long been involved in politics, and they are often believed to have a specific political identity, I believe the idea of the “Mormon Identity” is a very present truth, whether or not it is fact based.

            One’s personal identity is described as one’s ability to attach labels to ourselves and others, defining oneself in terms of the group we belong to.(1) As displayed by the Church’s prominent “I’m a Mormon” campaign, it is evident that many members identify themselves first as ‘Mormons’ and then as members of a political party, racial group, etc.  As displayed in a recent BYU’s Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy and Key Research Study, forty-two(2) percent of  LDS Democrats in Utah view Governor Romney favorably, and fifty-four percent(3) of Democrats believe his candidacy is good for the Latter-Day Saint Church. In view of this information it appears that even LDS Democrats view themselves primarily as members of the church and then as party affiliates, causing them to maintain a stronger preference for a Mormon presidential nominee.

Latter-Day Saints have long been believed to be predominantly republican, this belief has sprung from facets of Mormon culture as well as voting history. According to past polls Utah, which is sixty percent(4) Mormon, has voted Republican in presidential elections since 1944(5). Additionally members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints consistently maintain conservative values in regards to abortion, family unit, and gay marriage which all major facets of the GOP’s platform. Through this mode of reasoning it seems very apparent that a member of the church would consistently vote Republican, due to their similar belief structure.

Although Mormons traditionally vote republican, the data changes as we move farther from Utah and the west coast, where there is a higher concentration of members. Where a large percentage of Mormons live, not only do they share religious beliefs, but there is also a ‘Mormon sub-culture’ which is in itself is a major identifier for many members. “After all claiming to identify with a particular group does not necessarily imply that you will engage politically on behalf of that group,”(6)this is often the case of members outside of the west, and other highly centralized Mormon populations. Those who live in areas with high concentrations of like minded individuals, without access to other schools of thought, often continue to vote the way their Mormon progenitors voted. However in other areas of the country where the concentration of Saints is much lower opinions do change, according to a Pew Research Center poll, thirteen percent of Latter-Day Saints ‘living outside the west’ (meaning they do not come in contact with the ‘Mormon subculture’ as much) considered themselves Liberal, or more likely to vote Democrat, compared to the scant six percent of Saints ‘living in the west’ who considered themselves liberal(7).

Through the gathered information, it can be concluded that although there is a significant “Mormon political identity,” the presence of it seems to be based more on the location, and concentration of LDS members in an area then the presence of members alone.

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1) Professor Hawkins. Lecture on October 8, 2012.

2) Do LDS Dems like Mitt Romney?. Quinn Monson. August 22, 2012

3) Who things Governor Romney’s candidacy is good for the LDS Church? Kelly Patterson. August 2, 2012. Utahdatapoints.com

4) Records: Percentage of Mormons in Utah declines. Associated Press, 2008. www.azcentral.com

5)Utah Voting History. 2012. www.270towin.com

6) Samuels, David J. Comparative Politics. Pearson Education, Inc. 2013 pg. 149

7) Mormons in America; Certain in their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society. January 12, 2012. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research Center. www.pewforum.org