If you’re looking for statistics that show how conservative Christians are a big part of the Tea Party, look no further than research done by Dr. Robert P. Jones at the Public Religion Research Institute.
His findings are below.
I. “VALUES VOTERS” AND THE TEA PARTY
• Overlapping Identities: Nearly half (47 percent) of Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement also identify as a part of the religious right or Christian conservative movement.[Source: PRRI, American Values Survey, November 2010]. Fully three-quarters (75 percent) of those who identify with the Tea Party movement describe themselves as “a Christian conservative.” [Source: PRRI, Pluralism, Immigration and Civic Integration Survey, August 2011]
• Libertarianism: Despite conventional wisdom, only about a quarter (27 percent) of Americans who identify with the Tea Party consider themselves libertarians. [Source: PRRI, Pluralism, Immigration and Civic Integration Survey, August 2011]
II. ABORTION
• Support for Legal Abortion: Less than one-third of white evangelicals (32 percent) and Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement (29 percent) say that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared to a majority (53 percent) of the general public. [Source: PRRI, American Values Survey, September 2011]
• Abortion and Voting: Roughly 6-in-10 white evangelicals (63 percent) and Americans who identify with the Tea Party (58 percent) say they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supported legalized abortion. Among Americans overall, 36 percent say they would be less likely to vote for such a candidate. [Source: PRRI, Millennials, Religion & Gay and Lesbian Issues Survey, July 2011]
III. SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
• Support for Same-sex Marriage: Only 25 percent of Americans who identify with the Tea Party and 19 percent of white evangelical Protestants favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, compared to nearly half (47 percent) of the general public. [Source: PRRI, Millennials, Religion & Gay and Lesbian Issues Survey, July 2011]
• Same-sex Marriage and Voting: Roughly 6-in-10 white evangelicals (62 percent) and Americans who identify with the Tea Party (58 percent) say they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supported same-sex marriage. Among Americans overall, 33 percent say they would be less likely to vote for such a candidate [Source: PRRI, Millennials, Religion & Gay and Lesbian Issues Survey, July 2011]
IV. THE ROLE AND SIZE OF GOVERNMENT
• Role of Government: Less than half (47 percent) of white evangelicals and Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement (40 percent) agree that it is the responsibility of the government to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves. Among Americans overall 60 percent agree that it is the government’s responsibility. [Source: PRRI, Pluralism, Immigration and Civic Integration Survey, August 2011]
• Size of Government: Eight-in-ten (80 percent) Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement and two-thirds (64 percent) of white Evangelicals would rather have a smaller government that providing fewer services, compared to only half (50 percent) of the general public. [Source: PRRI, Millennials, Abortion and Religion Survey, June 2011]
More here.