Blog 5: Political Identity

Blog 5: Political Identity

            Many have dubbed 2012 as the “Mormon Moment” because of the intense media attention the church has received because of its ad campaign, the Book of Mormon musical and especially because of the presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney. Many have wondered if Mormons will only vote for Romney because he is also a Mormon. This offers an interesting debate on whether or not there is a distinct LDS political identity here in the United States. Political identity is defined as “the way individuals categorize themselves and others, and how they understand the relationships of domination and oppression that exist between groups” (Samuels, 149). Using this definition, there is definitely a distinct LDS political identity here in the United States, both by how LDS people categorize themselves and non-LDS people categorize Mormons.

            According to a survey conducted from Oct to Nov 2011, 66% of all Mormons describe themselves as “politically conservative” and 74% “identify or lean towards the Republican Party” (The Pew Forum). While this is certainly not all Mormons, an overwhelming majority consider themselves Republican or at least conservative. This is even more interesting because the LDS church does not promote any party or politician over another. According to the church’s website, “The Church does not endorse, promote or oppose political parties, candidates or platforms” or “attempt to direct its members as to which candidate or party they should give their vote” (LDS News). So this conservative political identity, which is strong in the sense that the majority of Mormons identify with it, does not come from the specific doctrine or theology of the Church. That leads to another interesting question, what causes this strong political identity in the US?

            The major reason for the presence of this political identity is probably primordial in nature. Primordialism claims that identities “emerge through deep psychological processes in early childhood, given one’s family and community context” (Samuels, 153). Because of the church’s emphasis on family and community, it holds that many members of the church form political identities early on and are probably passed down from generation to generation. Primordialism also suggests that “survival instinct, rooted in deep biological blood ties, arouses group loyalties and provides the basis for the politicization of identity” (Samuels, 153). This idea could affect the LDS political identity because of the church’s history with discrimination and persecution during the Restoration. The early members of the church formed close loyalties to each other as a need for survival, these feelings were probably passed down unconsciously (or maybe consciously) to their posterity. It would be interesting to conduct a survey on member’s political views and whether or not they have pioneer heritage and see if there is a strong correlation.

            Another reason for this distinct conservative LDS political identity could also be constructivist in nature. Constructivism assumes that “political identities are malleable… and suggests that we think of identity as an evolving process rather than as a fixed set of identity categories” (Samuels, 153). Because of the outstanding growth in recent years, the church has become increasingly diversified and in its recent ad campaign has emphasized that diversity. The new converts coming into the church certainly bring their own political views, but they also construct new ones and conform to the traditional LDS way of life. In this way, identity in general and specifically political identity is malleable. The LDS political identity itself is malleable in the fact that over time it has dramatically changed. While still conservative, it has become more liberal over the past several decades.

Sources:

"LDS News | Mormon News - Official Newsroom of the Church." Www.mormonnewsroom.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/>.

Samuels, David. Comparative Politics. New York: Pearson Education, 2013. Print.

"New Poll: Pew Forum on Religion on Religion and Public Life Surveys Mormons in America." Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The Pew Forum, 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.pewforum.org/>.