A nation with the soul of a church

The analyses compiled in this book discuss the influence of religion at moments of political significance in the United States. The articles examine the relationship between religiosity and the formulation and implementation of public policy in the United States and, among other topics, how the religious right organized politically in the country from the 1970s onward and eventually gained control of the Republican Party during the W. Bush administration. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the role of religious movements in foreign policy, and the influence that religion has had on the country's political life are also discussed, as is the likely influence of various religious groups during the administration of President Barack Obama. The texts comprising the book are the result of research developed at the Institute of Economic and International Studies (IEEI), which, in March 2009, was incorporated into UNESP (São Paulo State University).