A Plug for PRRI and The Morning Buzz

One of the groups that I am part of is the Public Religion Research Institute, an organization that conducts surveys about religion in the United States. I have been a board member – though admittedly, not a very good board member– for a few years and I have been deeply impressed by the work that this organization does. In the past we have published such studies as Beyond Guns and God: Understanding the Complexities of the White Working Class in America, A Generation in Transition: Religion, Values, and Politics among College-Age Millennials and Catholic Attitudes on Gay and Lesbian Issues: A Comprehensive Portrait from Recent Research.

Now I am not one to dive deeply into these studies on a day-to-day basis, but one of the things that comes out on a regular basis that does get my synapses firing is called The Morning Buzz. Curated by Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux, it’s a great gathering of faith and politics flavored links and information:

Welcome to the Morning Buzz, PRRI’s morning dose of religion-related news with a shot of data – because what doesn’t liven up a morning round-up like some public opinion numbers?

Here is the Buzz from today, Thursday, September 27th.

• A British policeman’s evening looked like it was turning into an episode of the X Files…until it wasn’t.
• Curious how (or whether) Millennials will vote in the 2012 election? Come hear some answers next Thursday, October 4, at Georgetown University, during the release of our new Millennial Values & Voter Engagement Survey.
• Was Jimmy Carter the most religious president ever? And, if elected, would Mitt Romney take that title away? To learn more about the religiosity of the American presidents, check out this book (which includes a chapter on Obama’s religion by our very own Dr. Robert P. Jones and Daniel Cox).
• A new study shows that voter ID laws may deter 10 million Hispanic Americans from voting this November. They may also delay the outcome of the election in some states. If you need a refresher on what exactly these voter ID laws are, check out this series of graphics.
• Do atheists need to be more welcoming of women and people of color? Some atheists say yes.
• At the New York Times, scholars Suzanne Mettler and John Sides report that 96% of Americans have relied on the federal government for some form of social assistance (including policies usually buried in the tax code).
• It looks like one of the four GOP state senators from New York who voted for same-sex marriage has lost his seat. One of the four did not seek reelection, while the other two are still hanging on.

Other Morning Buzzes have included the teasers:

• Prominent Black Clergy Support Same-sex Marriage in Maryland [09.24.2012]
• The Morning Buzz | Newly Discovered Text Suggests That Jesus May Have Had a Wife [09.19.2012]
• The Morning Buzz | Seminary Graduates Too Poor to Take a Vow of Poverty [08.07.2012]

So, if you are a religion, politics and cultural lover as I am, you should go ahead and  Sign up here or for updates and coverage throughout the day, like PRRI on Facebook or follow on Twitter.