We use data from the National Congregations Study (NCS), including data from the fourth wave, to describe congregations’ political activity in 2018–2019, and to examine change in that activity since 1998. Congregations have become more politically mobilized since 1998, with the majority of congregations (56 percent) engaged in at least one of the political activities asked about in 2018–2019. Black Protestant congregations in particular experienced a surge in political activity since 2012, and congregations with politically liberal convictions or in traditions with more immigrant members have substantially increased their advocacy on behalf of immigrants in recent years. Overall, since 2012 and possibly since 1998, the political mobilization of congregations on the left has increased more than political mobilization of congregations on the right. We also find that 4 percent of (overwhelmingly Catholic) congregations have declared themselves sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants, and a surprisingly large minority (17 percent) of congregations would publicly endorse or oppose political candidates if doing so would not put their tax status at risk. Ironically, in light of the support for this tax law change among conservative leaders, African American and politically liberal congregations are by far most likely to publicly endorse a candidate if they could.

中文翻译：

---

美国会众的政治动员

我们使用来自国家会众研究（NCS）的数据，包括来自第四次浪潮的数据，来描述会众在2018-2019年的政治活动，并研究自1998年以来该活动的变化。自1998年以来，随着政治的发展，会众在政治上的动员越来越多大多数会众（56％）参加了至少一项2018-2019年要求的政治活动。自2012年以来，尤其是黑人新教徒的宗教活动激增，具有政治自由主义信念的传统或具有更多移民成员的传统的信徒群体近年来大大增加了对移民的拥护。总体而言，自2012年以来（可能还有1998年以来），政治上动员左派的人比政治上动员右派的人要多。我们还发现，（绝大多数天主教徒）会众中有4％宣布自己是无证移民的庇护所，如果这样做不会使他们的税收地位受到威胁，则极少数（17％）的会众会公开认可或反对政治候选人。具有讽刺意味的是，鉴于保守派领导人对这项税法改革的支持，到目前为止，非裔美国人和政治上自由的教会最有可能在公开场合认可候选人。