Religion, Religiosity, Sex, and Willingness to Express Political Opinions: A Spiral of Silence Analysis of the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election

This study analyzes the extent to which an individual's sex, religion, and religiosity influence their willingness to voice an opinion about Barack Obama's ethnicity in the 2008 election. Results from 569 college students surveyed reveal sex to be a nonsignificant predictor, whereas religion and religiosity significantly influence willingness to voice an opinion about Obama's ethnicity. More religious individuals were more likely to voice an opinion about Obama's ethnicity as a voting issue in the campaign. There were significant differences among religious groups and their willingness to voice an opinion on this issue.