Religious associations in Lombardy: Values and political choices

The aim of this paper is to analyze the relationship between religious and political involvement in members of Catholic associations today in the northern Italian Region of Lombardy, which in last decades appeared to anticipate Italian political changes. Right through history religion has been intensely politicized in Italy, with religious associations always playing a prominent social/ political role. This study draws on material from an original survey to focus on the associations themselves and their membership in order to flesh out their character and political orientation. It will then go on to use its findings to test the consistency of a hypothesis presuming a growing internal heterogeneity in electoral behaviour.