Relig01.zip

Historical Significance (Pre-9/11): This is perhaps the most critical note. The data reflects American society before the September 11 attacks. This makes it an essential benchmark for studying how 9/11 radically altered discussions about religion, Islam, national security, and civil liberties.

Political Context: The survey was fielded just weeks after President Bush's inauguration. It likely gauged initial public reaction to his proposal for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which sought to allow government funding for religious groups providing social services.

Key Topics Likely Covered:

Support for the involvement of religious groups in government-funded social services.

Attitudes on the role of religion in public schools.

Opinions on hot-button cultural issues like abortion and gay rights.

General feelings on the appropriate influence of religious leaders and values in politics.

Usage: Researchers use this specific survey to:

Compare "before and after" views on Islam and religious tolerance post-9/11.

Understand the foundational support for faith-based policies at the start of the Bush administration.

Track long-term trends in religious affiliation and belief without the influence of the 9/11 event.

Finding the Data: The full report and dataset are archived on the Pew Research Center's website. Searching for "2001 Religion and Public Life Survey" or filtering their religion section by the year 2001 will yield the correct results.