Department of Political Science, Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya

Title and Précis:

Religion as a Political Factor in the Andean Countries: An Approximation from Political Culture

     Although the theory of secularization holds that the relevance of religion should slowly disappear as societies develop, the past few decades have shown just the reverse: religion has grown as a decisive political force in so many different ways and places. This project will examine the relationship between religiosity and political orientations in the Andean countries of Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru.  The main independent variables will be religious affiliation (Catholic and Protestant) and the degree of individual’s religious involvement (beliefs and practices). The main dependent variables will be the set of political attitudes, perceptions and preferences included in the Barometer of the Americas.

Biography:

     Dr. Jorge Aragón Trelles is Director and Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya in Lima, Peru. Dr. Aragón Trelles earned his Doctoral degree in Political Science from the University of Florida in 2006. His research interests include Latin American politics, democracy, governance, comparative democratization, and religion and politics.  Dr. Aragón Trelles is a member of the American Political Science Association (APSA) and the Latin American Studies Association (LASA).