Laura Olson
Professor and Herman Brown Chair of Political Science Texas Christian University
- Fort Worth TX
Political scientist studying religion, public opinion, civic engagement and American politics
Media
Biography
Her scholarship explores how religious affiliation, belief and commitment shape attitudes toward elections, presidential approval, public policy, civil rights, foreign policy and social issues. She has studied the political activities of Protestant clergy, the religious left and right, environmental concerns in congregations, and the relationship between religion and public views on same-sex marriage and redistributive policies.
Olson is the author or co-author of books on Protestant clergy, religion and American politics, and the political and religious landscape of the United States. Her research has appeared in Political Research Quarterly, Social Science Quarterly, the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Politics and Religion and other scholarly publications.
She has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion and was a two-time U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Italy. Olson earned her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and her doctorate in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Areas of Expertise
Education
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ph.D.
Political Science
1996
University of Wisconsin-Madison
MA
Political Science
1991
Northwestern University
Bachelor's degree
Political Science, with Departmental Honors
1990
Media Appearances
James Dobson, influential voice of the religious right, dies at 89
The Washington Post online
2025-08-21
Quoted in a Washington Post obituary about James Dobson and the rise of the religious right; the article identifies Olson as a political scientist studying religion in politics and references a 2020 interview for the obituary.
Why Marianne Williamson’s Brand Of Spirituality Isn’t Working
FiveThirtyEight online
2019-09-09
Quoted about the political significance of Americans who identify as “spiritual but not religious,” in an article analyzing Marianne Williamson’s campaign.
Dems More Reluctant to Back Mormon Candidates, Survey Shows
Fox News online
2011-07-01
Quoted about religious-group bias and voter attitudes toward Mormon presidential candidates; Olson is identified as a Clemson political science professor specializing in religion and politics.
After scandals, they keep trust in God, not in GOP
Los Angeles Times online
2009-06-28
Quoted about whether scandals involving Republican politicians could weaken evangelical support for the GOP.
Can Focus survive without Dobson as leader?
The Gazette online
2009-02-27
Quoted about leadership succession at Focus on the Family and the political influence of evangelical organizations.
2007: A Year of Quiet Change
The Washington Post online
2007-11-30
Quoted in a religion-and-politics year-in-review article about changes within the religious right and evangelical political broadcasting.
Bush Pushed From The Right
CBS News online
2004-08-11
Quoted during coverage of George W. Bush’s support among religious conservatives, including the role of moral-values issues, abortion and same-sex marriage in the 2004 election.
Event Appearances
Religion and Opinion Formation in the United States
Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting New Orleans, LA, US
2013-01-03
Annual Meeting Presentation on the Religious Left in Contemporary American Politics
Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Annual Meeting Portland, OR, US
Research Focus
Religion and American politics
Religious identity, political behavior and public opinion
Research examines how religious affiliation, commitment and belief influence political attitudes, presidential evaluations, voting preferences and public policy views.
Religion, civic engagement and political participation
Clergy, congregations and religious movements
Research analyzes the political activities of clergy and congregations, civic engagement, environmental concerns, religious organizations and the development of progressive and conservative religious movements.
Religion and social policy
Public attitudes toward rights, equality and government policy
Research addresses religion's relationship to public opinion on same-sex marriage, gay rights, redistributive policies, religious liberty and U.S. foreign policy.
Articles
E Pluribus … Pluribus ? Politics, Polarization, and Prospects for Covenantal Pluralism in the United States Today
The Review of Faith & International AffairsLaura R. Olson
2025-11-21
This article examines whether the United States can advance “covenantal pluralism”—a model of religious coexistence—amid current political polarization, drawing on scholarship, survey data, and other evidence.
How Linguistic Analysis Helps Us Understand the COVID-19 Pandemic
Lingue Culture Mediazioni - Languages Cultures Mediation (LCM Journal)Laura R. Olson, Stefania Maria Maci, Denise Milizia
2023-12-21
This article examines how linguistic analysis can help explain the COVID-19 pandemic, including the spread of misinformation, declining trust in experts, and the pandemic’s broader social effects.
Internet Usage, YouTube, and Conspiracy-Mindedness in the United States
Lingue Culture Mediazioni - Languages Cultures Mediation (LCM Journal)Laura R. Olson
2023-12-21
This article analyzes the relationship between internet use, YouTube, and conspiracy-mindedness in the United States, placing online misinformation within the context of political polarization and threats to democracy.
Belonging, Behaving, and Believing
Political Research QuarterlyLaura R. Olson, Adam L. Warber
2008-02-09
Using American National Election Studies data from 1992 through 2004, this article evaluates how religious affiliation, commitment, and belief shape presidential approval, showing why a simple Protestant-Catholic distinction is insufficient.
Religion and Public Opinion about Same‐Sex Marriage*
Social Science QuarterlyLaura R. Olson, Wendy Cadge, James T. Harrison
2006-05-09
This article analyzes how religious affiliation and religiosity relate to public opinion on same-sex marriage, civil unions, and a proposed federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, using nationally representative survey data.
Talking about Homosexuality: The Views of Mainline Protestant Clergy
Journal for the Scientific Study of ReligionLaura R. Olson, Wendy Cadge
2002-03-01
Based on interviews with 62 mainline Protestant clergy across the United States, this article presents the range of clergy views and debates about homosexuality within mainline Protestantism.
