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But the demand for hierarchy has a larger impact on politics. In Bill Clinton’s often-quoted words: “When times are uncertain, the American people would rather have a leader who is wrong but strong than one who is right but weak.” Just as the father must rule to keep the home in order, and the Father in Heaven must be obeyed to keep the universe in order, so the “great white father” in the White House must have firm control to keep order in the political realm.

“Seven kids! Seven kids!” one woman exlaimed at a Rick Santorum rally in Louisiana on March 21, when organizers asked people to say what they liked most about the ultra-conservative Catholic, homeschooling presidential candidate.

There was a time when it seemed like progress for Catholics and Jews to be folded into Protestant America and frequently referred to as a single entity. For most, that time has passed.

In some quarters the Catholic Health Association’s rejection of the Obama administration’s compromise was treated as a reversal of position. But is it really all about contraceptive coverage?

It’s difficult to escape the sense that something is still missing from press coverage of Romney’s Mormonism.

Top 8 RD stories on religion and the use and abuse of history in U.S. political life.

Behold the woeful ignorance of GOP strategists.

Can religious activists influence religious voters?

Note the disconnect between religion, money, and politics.

Must-read Businessweek article studies Mormon profits.