Politics and Religion in France and the United States

Book excerpt: Religion and Politics in France and the United States compares the current status and views of Jews, Christians, and Muslims regarding political life in two states. Longstanding traditions of laicite and of constitutional law frame discussions of political speech, voting patterns, and attempts to deal with demographic and cultural shifts characteristic of French and American societies. Papers by leading scholars demonstrate the ways that historical experience sheds light on current events; how it is, for example, that previous efforts to deal with religious difference affect current approaches to the display of religious symbols in state schools, or how the struggles of minority groups for recognition affect voting patterns. One question running throughout the volume is, what can French and American policymakers and citizens learn from one another, as they seek to deal with the challenges presented by contemporary life?