Critical Analysis

1. According to the data from the chart above, what portion of Americans age 18-29 are not affiliated with any religion?

2. What is the big story this chart tells?

3. Describe the most significant trend (changes, differences between age groups, etc) in the data.

4. Explain the main cause of that trend.

5. How do you think American religion has impacted our response to the coronavirus pandemic?

6. Our religious freedom is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. But the interpretation of that freedom changes as America evolves. How will the growing religious (and non-religious) diversity in America impact our civil liberties?

7. Which age group from the chart above did the Framers look most like?

8. Which age group from the chart above do Republicans look most like?

9. Draw a column on the chart for America age 0-17. Based on the trends from this chart above, what do you think this youngest group of Americans would look like religiously?

10. If the Congress was as religiously diverse as young Americans age 18-35 are (it isn’t) how would the policies it makes change?

    Visual Extension

Learning Extension

Read this FiveThirtyEight piece on changing religious demographics in America

Action Extension

Print out the “Generational Shift” chart above. Research the religious demographics of your school or your town and draw in a column for that data on the chart. Post the chart online.