[MB: I just ran across this article doing a search for Arab/Muslim Americans and political participation, a topic that is woefully under-researched (as we all know). While the model specifications could use some improvement (where is income?), this is a terrific first step in understanding Muslim civic engagement here in the U.S. that scholars of immigrant politics and minority politics should build on.]

Title: “The Political Participation and Engagement of Muslim Americans: Mosque Involvement and Group Consciousness.”
Journal: American Politics Research. Vol 33, No. 4, April 2005, pp 521-544.
Author:Amaney Jamal


“Although studies on civic and political engagement highlight the importance of religious institutions in the political mobilization of Americans, few studies have examined the role of religious institutions in ethnic or minority communities. Furthermore, little is known about the causal mechanisms that link minorities in religious institutions to broader forms of political participation. Through an examination of patterns of Muslim American political behavior and their levels of mosque participation, the author argues that the mosque, similar to other religious institutions in the United States, takes on the multifaceted role of mobilization vehicle and school of civic participation. The author also discovers that mosques promote and foster a sense of group consciousness among Arab and Black Muslims.”

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