Regulating Religion in the Public Arena: Lessons Learned from Global Data Collections

This chapter’s data analysis shows the negative effect of putatively neutral regulations on religious freedom worldwide. Examining the constitutions of countries around the world, the authors note that most countries enshrine a formal commitment to religious freedom. However, such constitutional provisions commonly coexist with regulatory restrictions on religious freedom, the authors warn. Furthermore, many otherwise mature liberal democracies have taken increasingly punitive stances towards disfavored religious groups, and many countries with strong nominal protections for religious freedom strictly regulate religious minorities in practice. The authors conclude there is a modest connection between religious freedom and economic development, and a strong correlation between religious freedom, open elections, independent courts, and respect for other kinds of civil rights.