Political Participation in Orthodox Jewish Communities (by the Example of Communities of Russia and the United States)

Abstract This study analyzes how the socio-political doctrine of Orthodox Judaism and the social organization of Jewish religious communities influence political participation of community members in the Russian Federation and the United States. The study deals with the following topics: a) theoretical approaches to the study of the influence of religion on political participation; b) theoretical approaches to voter behaviour in religious communities; c) the social structure of religious communities and its influence on the political participation of community members in the Russian Federation and the United States; d) factors of voter mobilization and political participation. The following methods have been used in the study: 1) participant observation; 2) in-depth interviews; 3) analysis of secondary sources. The study has established that socio-political doctrines of Judaism have an effect on the political behaviour of community members. The social organization of specific communities also has an influence on political choices of community members. Members of Orthodox Jewish communities in Russia and in the United States engage in different patterns of political participation.