8.3 Introduction - sociological accounts of voting

Over the past 30 years, scholars observed the decline of social–structural and socio-demographic accounts of voting.

• For example: Where religious practice has declined in absolute terms across most if not all democratic societies, the amount of variance these factors can account for in models of voting behavior will likely decline.

• However, religious-secular divisions in electorates are not soon to disappear. Religious-secular divisions have largely displaced divisions based on religious denomination.