In that question, which does not delve into the thornier realm of religious exemptions, Catholic support is fairly solid. Roughly 6-in-10 (58%) Catholics agree that employers should be required to provide their employees with health care plans that cover contraception (37% disagree). Catholic voters are slightly less likely to agree, with 52% in favor of a contraceptive mandate for all employers, and 44% opposed.

However, the survey also asked about two kinds of religious exemptions: one for churches and other places of worship, and another for religiously affiliated colleges and hospitals. Despite the fact that most of the controversy has centered around the fact that religiously affiliated colleges and hospitals will be required to comply with the mandate (although they have an extra year to do so), these has been less attention to the intricacies of our findings about Catholic attitudes on this critical question. Catholics’ attitudes with regard to these exemptions are nuanced, and need to be included to fully understand the lay of the land.

Consistent with the findings on the initial general question about the contraception mandate, a slim majority (52%) of all Catholics support requiring religiously affiliated institutions to comply with the contraception mandate (45% oppose it). But these numbers only tell part of the story:

• First, among Catholic registered voters, who tend to be older, more conservative, and more likely to be white than Catholics overall, a slim majority (52%) oppose requiring religiously affiliated schools and hospitals to provide birth control without a co-pay.
• Second, among white Catholics, a group that favored John McCain over Obama in the 2008 election (52% vs. 47%), opposition to the contraception mandate rises to a solid 58%.
• Finally, nearly 6-in-10 (59%) Catholics and 7-in-10 (68%) Catholic voters believe that churches and other places of worship should NOT be required to provide health care plans that cover contraception.

These findings show that while Catholics support the concept of a contraceptive mandate for all employers, they are more conflicted about whether religiously affiliated institutions should be exempted. While this is unlikely to become a driving issue in the 2012 general election, in swing states with significant concentrations of white Catholics  (i.e. Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan) it could have an impact.

Our February Religion & Politics Tracking Survey shows that Catholics are divided on this issue, which suggests that Obama may not be committing political suicide among these voters. What’s more, a closer examination of the data reveals, that backtracking on the rule could disaffect two other crucial demographic groups who strongly support the lack of an exemption for religiously affiliated institutions: women and Millennials (age 18-29). So even if the Obama administration manages to pacify the Catholic hierarchy by modifying the rule, a turnaround could stir up resentment among these groups.

Women are, unsurprisingly, more likely than men overall to favor the mandate that requires religiously affiliated hospitals and colleges to provide health care plans that cover contraception, (54% vs. 43%). Generational differences are even more striking: while nearly 6-in-10 (58%) Millennials say that religiously affiliated institutions should provide birth control through their insurance, only one-third of seniors (age 65 and up) agree.

Perhaps most interesting, however, are the differences between younger men and women. Men under the age of 50 are evenly divided on the exemption, but a staggering 61% of women under the age of 50 agree with the current policy, with only one-third (34%) saying that religiously affiliated institutions should be able to opt out of providing no-cost birth control for their employees.

This makes sense, considering that women between the ages of 18 and 49 stand to gain the most from the new rule. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, 62% of the 62 million women of reproductive age are currently using a method of contraception. Birth control costs can range from $15 to $50 a month, even for women who have health insurance. The new regulations lift this financial burden from these women’s shoulders, and given their levels of support for the rule as it currently stands, it’s unlikely that they will be happy if this policy is changed.

To be sure, Obama needs support from Catholics to succeed in this November’s election. He’s currently leading Romney among this key demographic (48% for Obama vs. 40% for Romney), which is a slim enough margin that Obama’s advisers concern about alienating this constituency is understandable.

But it would also be a mistake to think that Catholics are the only group that cares about this issue. Young women were a crucial part of the coalition who helped propel Obama to victory in 2008, and the Obama camp will be out to court them again this year. A high-profile compromise might dampen these women’s enthusiasm, to the point where the White House may wish it had taken a step back to look at the whole playing field.

I was as surprised as you were to wake up yesterday morning and learn that Rick Santorum swept the GOP contests in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado. According to the New York Times, Santorum can thank the conservative Republicans of all three states, who may be part of the cohort of Tea Party members and evangelical Christians who just can’t seem to resign themselves to voting for Mitt Romney (Romney, as we know well, has been struggling among these voters since the race started). But I also think the sweater vest must have had something to do with Santorum’s victory. For one thing, it’s a cash cow.

Mitt Romney wasn’t the only one who had a reason to mope yesterday. Gallup released Congress’ new approval numbers, which hit a new low of just 10%.

In a piece for CNN Belief, Stephen Prothero takes Santorum’s victories as a sign that the culture wars are back. Using PRRI’s most recent survey (which, if you haven’t checked it out, got quite a bit of media coverage this week), he points out that Americans are often less divided on these issues than politicians and pundits would have you believe. It’s also worth noting that Americans are less likely to rank abortion and same-sex marriage as critical issues in the country than things like the economy or national security.

A new report shows that there was actually a decline in the already-small number of Muslim-Americans indicted for radical terrorist plots last year. This should be no surprise to the 60% of Americans who say that too many Americans believe that all Muslims are terrorists.

Find a story you’d like to see in Monday’s Buzz? I’d love to take a look – just reply to this email and send me your discovery! Also, don’t forget to share the Buzz with your friends. Send them this link to sign up. For updates and coverage throughout the day, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Also a reminder that our CEO as well as yours truly are on Twitter: we’re @robertpjones and @PRRIAmelia.

CNN: The Situation Room

WOLF BLITZER: The White House, Brianna, is clearly concerned. Catholic leaders can sway a whole lot of Catholic voters out there, many of whom are very important to the president’s reelection. What do voters think about this policy?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Actually there’s a study that just came out by the Public Religion Research Institute. A lot of folks in the White House are pointing to it. It shows that roughly six in 10 Catholics think employers should be required to provide this kind of insurance coverage. Among Catholic voters, which is obviously very important, Wolf, it’s slightly lower, 52 percent. But I think you’re seeing is the White House kind of maybe realized it may be different or impossible to allay some of these concerns of, say, the Catholic bishops, but they’re kind of taking a step back, softening the stance, certainly trying to extend an olive branch to some of those Catholic voters who might be swayed, Wolf.

Soledad O’Brien: Starting Point

BBC News: US Catholics Angry at Contraception Rule

When asked about the new rule, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters on Monday that “those institutions where women of all faiths, many faiths work need to have the same kind of coverage that all other American women have”. A recent poll suggested that 52% of American Catholics believe religiously affiliated colleges and hospitals should have to provide coverage that includes contraception.

Time: Obama Administration’s Ruling Fits With Re-Election Needs

This provides some clues to the Obama re-election strategy, namely that the campaign is already courting young, more secular women – exactly the cohort that could be won over by the Administration’s recent decision to require Catholic universities and hospitals to provide employee health insurance plans covering contraception. A new poll from the Public Religion Research Institute provides more support for this strategy, noting that 58% of Millennials say “religiously affiliated colleges and hospitals should have to provide coverage that includes contraception,” while 54% of women feel this way. In addition, the PRPI poll found that more than half (52%) of Catholics agree.

Reuters: Obama Risks Catholic Vote on Birth-Control Mandate

USA Today: New Surveys: Catholics Want Birth Control Coverage

Fox News: Army Defends Chaplain Intervention over Letter Criticizing Contraceptive Mandate

The Washington Post: Why White House Sees Political Opportunity in the Contraception Battle

Politico: Poll: Obama Rule Correct to Exempt Churches

Commonweal: Polling on the Mandate

The Hill: Majority of Catholics Support Contraceptive Coverage

Slate: PRRI Poll: Axelrod: Compromise Possible on Birth Control Issue

Check out even more media hits in the “Headlines” section of our website.

More significantly, a new exploration of 2011 polling by Public Religion Research Institute offers decisive evidence that the old assumptions about battle lines between secular proponents and religious foes no longer hold. Majorities of five major religious groups and the religiously unaffiliated favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, compared to three major religious groups who oppose same-sex marriage. On the side supporting same-sex marriage, the religiously unaffiliated (72 percent) are joined by majorities of Jews (76 percent), Americans affiliated with a non-Judeo-Christian religion (63 percent), white Catholics (56 percent), Hispanic Catholics (53 percent) and white mainline Protestants (52 percent). Together, these religious groups make up approximately 45 percent of the general population.

On the other hand, large majorities of white evangelical Protestants (75 percent), Mormons (75 percent) and black Protestants (63 percent) continue to oppose same-sex marriage. Opposition to same-sex marriage among these groups is intense: near-majorities of Mormons (48 percent) and evangelicals (46 percent) strongly oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally. Together, these groups comprise approximately 32 percent of the general population.

To read the rest of the post, head over to the Huffington Post’s Religion page.

Yesterday, a federal appeals panel in San Francisco upheld an earlier court ruling that California’s Proposition 8 was unconstitutional. The decision’s opponents can either appeal it to the U.S. Court of Appeals – or to the Supreme Court, which has never ruled on the issue. One thing’s for sure: no one should assume that religious Americans are uniformly opposed to same-sex marriage. To learn more about where religious groups fall in the marriage debate, check out our recent research note.

Coincidentally enough, it’s National Marriage Week here in the USA. So, of course we’re all wondering whether modern life has finally killed the venerable institution. It’s true that two-thirds say it is morally acceptable to get divorced. But even if cohabitation is becoming more common, and divorce is always in the news, marriage certainly isn’t dead yet.

Rumor has it that the Obama administration may reconsider its ruling on whether or not to expand a “conscience exemption” to include religiously affiliated colleges, charities and hospitals. There is certainly debate over the issue, but it doesn’t seem likely that Catholics will abandon the president en masse, at least based on PRRI’s new survey.

In an effort to compete with the GOP-affiliated SuperPACS, the Obama campaign has reversed their initial decision and will begin focusing on raising money through SuperPACS, despite their opposition to the Citizens United ruling. This means that the general election could get even nastier than the GOP primary. For more on SuperPACS and civility in politics, check out our blog.

Meanwhile, a university in eastern Pennsylvania has started dispensing Plan B, the emergency contraceptive, through vending machines where students can also purchase cough drops, condoms, and pregnancy tests. Given the controversy over Plan B last December, it’s unlikely that this is going to pass without comment.

Find a story you’d like to see in Monday’s Buzz? I’d love to take a look – just reply to this email and send me your discovery! Also, don’t forget to share the Buzz with your friends. Send them this link to sign up. For updates and coverage throughout the day, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Also a reminder that our CEO as well as yours truly are on Twitter: we’re @robertpjones and @PRRIAmelia.

A new poll shows that by better than 2 to 1, Americans say the more they learn about Romney, the less they like him. As last week’s PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey also showed, Obama edges out Romney in a head-to-head match-up.

The debate continues to rage over whether the Obama administration erred in its refusal to grant a broader religious exemption for religiously affiliated hospitals and colleges on no-cost birth control for the institutions’ employees. A new PRRI survey shows that Catholics are relatively divided (52% support the requirement and 45% oppose it), despite the American Catholic bishops’ concerted opposition.

Is Mitt Romney the “stealth Tea Party candidate”? According to Theda Skocpol, Romney’s stance on immigration could endear him to Tea Party members, even if he does have Swiss bank accounts and the support of most of the GOP establishment. The question – considering that nearly half (47%) of Americans who consider themselves part of the Tea Party movement say they are also part of the Christian conservative or religious right movement – is how they feel about Romney’s Mormon faith. (Thanks to Vivian for sending this in!)

Is marriage just for America’s wealthier citizens? I’d be a little more convinced by this post for the NYT’s Economix blog if it tackled the rise of new families and cohabitation (see Pew for more).

Many white working-class voters believe that Romney is not paying his fair share in taxes. For more on why the white working class voters will matter in the 2012 election, check out this article by our CEO, Dr. Robert P. Jones.

Find a story you’d like to see in Monday’s Buzz? I’d love to take a look – just reply to this email and send me your discovery! Also, don’t forget to share the Buzz with your friends. Send them this link to sign up. For updates and coverage throughout the day, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Also a reminder that our CEO as well as yours truly are on Twitter: we’re @robertpjones and @PRRIAmelia.

Mitt Romney walked away with a comfortable victory in the Nevada caucus (despite some unrest about a special evening caucus convened for orthodox Jews), but Newt Gingrich vowed to fight on. According to entrance polls, Romney did extremely well among the strong number of Mormons who turned out, but he also had a good performance among evangelical Christians and Tea Party members, two groups to whom he has been struggling to appeal.

Romney, however, did less well among low-income voters. This may become a larger issue if Romney makes it to the general election: Barack Obama is already setting the stage with populist speeches like his address at the National Prayer Breakfast, where he presented a distinctly Christian message of economic fairness.

The Buffett Rule, which would raise taxes on America’s wealthiest citizens, was introduced in the Senate, and is facing stiff opposition from Republicans. However, Americans strongly favor the measure – including 52% of Republicans – favor the proposal.

Despite the fact that Americans are less likely to rank abortion as a critical issue compared to the economy, immigration, national security, abortion and birth control are becoming major campaign issues.

Meanwhile, Mitt Romney’s Mormonism stayed in the news. The LA Times analyzed why the spotlight on Romney could be a mixed blessing for the Mormon church, while Frank Bruni lamented Romney’s choice not to speak more openly about his faith, even though religion has clearly shaped him.

Elizabeth Warren seems to be doing well among female voters. Could Obama follow in her footsteps?

Find a story you’d like to see in Monday’s Buzz? I’d love to take a look – just reply to this email and send me your discovery! Also, don’t forget to share the Buzz with your friends. Send them this link to sign up. For updates and coverage throughout the day, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Also a reminder that our CEO as well as yours truly are on Twitter: we’re @robertpjones and @PRRIAmelia.

“I think to myself, if I’m willing to give something up as somebody who’s been extraordinarily blessed, and give up some of the tax breaks that I enjoy, I actually think that’s going to make economic sense,” Obama told the audience. “But for me, as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’s teaching that ‘for unto whom much is given, much shall be required.’ ”

Obama’s remarks, like his State of the Union, contrasted sharply with GOP front-runner Mitt Romney’s stance on Americans’ financial struggles (lest you forget, the reverberations from Romney’s declaration that he is not choosing to focus on the “very poor” are still resounding through the blogosphere). But his appeal to religion may draw Americans from some faith backgrounds closer to his message – while leaving others out in the cold.

The new PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey shows the extent to which voters from different Christian denominations believe that the growing gap between the rich and the poor is a critical issue facing the country:

• Approximately half of white mainline Protestant (48%) and Catholic (47%) voters cite the growing gap between the rich and the poor as a critical issue.
• Only one-third (33%) of white evangelical Protestant voters see the growing gap between the rich and the poor as a critical issue—the lowest of any religious group.

If Obama continues to rely on his faith to promote a more populist agenda, it may also results in an increasing level of awareness about his own religious background. As of last July, only 38% of Americans knew that Obama actually was a Christian. Four-in-ten said that they did not know what Obama’s religious beliefs are, while nearly 1-in-5 (18%) wrongly identified him as a Muslim. White mainline Protestants and Catholics are two key religious swing groups, so Obama’s new accent on the role of his Christian faith in advocating for economic fairness measures may resonate with some of these folks. But this speech isn’t likely to bring more white evangelical Protestants into Obama’s corner.

If you missed it, check out our CEO, Dr. Robert P. Jones, on yesterday morning’s edition of the “Washington Journal,” a popular program on C-SPAN. Dr. Jones answered questions from the host about religion, politics, and the 2012 election, and then fielded queries from the audience.

At the National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama reflected on the role that his Christian faith plays in his new emphasis on aiding America’s vulnerable citizens. Noting that he prays daily, he explained that his proposal for the rich, including himself, to pay more in taxes “coincides with Jesus’s teaching that, ‘for unto to whom much is given, much shall be required.’” To learn a bit more about how Obama’s faith has impacted his personal views and political decisions, check out our book chapter on this topic in Mark Rozell’s updated edited volume on Religion and the American Presidency.

In yesterday’s Buzz, I mentioned the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s decision to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, which is rapidly expanding into a controversy of gargantuan proportions. The influential breast cancer foundation was a major supporter of services at Planned Parenthood clinics across the country, including screenings for breast cancer. Now, the foundation is facing accusations from commentators like CNN’s Laura Sessions Stepp, who say that the Komen Foundation is denying crucial reproductive health services to low-income women.

At CNN, an exploration of whether rank-and-file Catholics are as angered by the Obama administration’s refusal to exempt religiously associated schools, hospitals and social agencies from providing no-cost birth control to employees through their health insurance. It’s entirely possible that lay Catholics see the move as disrespectful to their faith, but it’s also important to remember that 85% of Catholics support expanding access to birth control for women who cannot afford it.

Meanwhile, a prominent Catholic Cardinal publicly lamented the failure of the DREAM Act and encouraged young people to press for more comprehensive immigration reform. A strong majority (58%) of Catholics also agree that illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children should be able to gain legal resident status if they go to college or join the military. However, he may have more difficulty inciting young people to action, since only about 1-in-4 Millennials say that immigration is a critical issue.

A rumor to ponder over the weekend: did Mitt Romney’s infamous Irish setter, Seamus, go on the lam in Canada?

Find a story you’d like to see in Monday’s Buzz? I’d love to take a look – just reply to this email and send me your discovery! Also, don’t forget to share the Buzz with your friends. Send them this link to sign up. For updates and coverage throughout the day, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Also a reminder that our CEO as well as yours truly are on Twitter: we’re @robertpjones and @PRRIAmelia.