WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Many supporters of the conservative Tea Party movement that has shaken up U.S. politics share the same views as the Christian right on social issues like abortion and the role of religion in public life, according to a poll released yesterday.
While the loosely organized Tea Party movement has focused largely on shrinking the size of government and other fiscal issues, its backers are more likely to support government restrictions on gay marriage and other social issues, the Public Religion Research Institute found in its American Values Survey.
The survey found significant overlap between the Tea Party, made up mostly of Republicans, and the religious right, which has played a significant political role for decades.
“On nearly all basic demographic characteristics, there are no significant differences between Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement and those who identify with the Christian conservative movement,” the study’s authors wrote.
Nearly half of those who identify with the Tea Party believe that the Bible is the literal word of God, and a similar proportion thinks that public officials do not pay enough attention to religion, the survey found. They are more likely than the population as a whole to view America as a Christian nation.
Tea Party members are less likely than the general public to support same-sex marriage, abortion rights or a compromise on immigration reform that would allow people who are in the United States illegally to become citizens.
The survey reveals some of the underlying view of the populist movement that appears poised to make a major impact in the Nov. 2 congressional elections.
United by anger at Washington, the movement has taken aim at officeholders from both parties, and several incumbent Republicans have been unseated by Tea Party-backed candidates in primary elections.
But 82 percent of those who identify with the Tea Party plan to vote for Republicans in the upcoming election, the survey found. Nearly three quarters said they usually vote Republican.
Americans as a whole are divided on the merits of the Tea Party. While 24 percent say they would be more likely to support a candidate who was affiliated with Tea Party groups, 31 percent said they would be less likely to do so.
