The Decline of Religiosity in America: Evidence from a Structural Model of Endogenous Church Differentiation

Raphael Corbi () and Fabio Miessi Sanches ()

No 2024_32, Working Papers, Department of Economics from University of São Paulo (FEA-USP)

Abstract: This paper presents a structural model of endogenous product differentiation in religious markets, examining how evolving societal moral values drive the rise of the religiously unaffiliated in the U.S. Structural estimates show that individuals choose Churches based on how closely Church teachings match their personal values, while Churches do not adjust their positions in response to changes in societal moral values. Counterfactual analyses reveal that the liberalization of moral values is a key driver of the increasing share of “nones†. Furthermore, attempts by Churches to adopt more liberal stances can only partially counteract this trend.

Keywords: Endogenous Product Differentiation; Structural Model; Religion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C57 L13 Z12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-12-11
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