Who is in Focus's Family?
Lynn Robinson and Lyman A. Kellstedt
April 1, 2000
In some circles James Dobson is a kind of Protestant pope-in others, he is, shall we say, less highly regarded. The psychologist and Focus on the family radio host is a tireless promoter of conservative Christian politics, and had made a mark long before "family values" acquired its political connotations. And a rare glimpse into the profiles of the people who receive mailings from Focus shows that Dobson's emphasis on strong families draws a wider constituency than his politics would suggest.
This data set compares the people receiving mailings from four national Christian interest groups. In addition to Focus on the Family, we've included data from Bread for the World (an anti-hunger group). Prison
Fellowship (the ministry founded by Chuck Colson), and Concerned Women for America (CWA, a conservative political action group led by Beverly LaHaye).
Focus's constituency is predominantly conservative, no doubt, compared to Bread for the World or even Prison Fellowship-but it is hardly a right-wing monolith, as the comparisons with CWA make clear. For example, 75% of CWA's constituents "feel personally close to" James Dobson and Focus on the Family, while only about 60% of Focus's own list do! This suggests that there is a wide audience concerned with family issues who are listening to Dobson-even if they don't agree with his politics.
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