What explains the emergence and endurance of what Alfred Stepan has termed the “twin tolerations” between religion and democracy? This question is of broad comparative importance, from religiously vibrant democracies in Asia and Latin America to newly plural societies in Western Europe and the states of the Arab Awakening still struggling to consolidate democratic politics. I argue that the institutional relationship between religion and state proves crucial in explaining why religion sometimes seems to threaten democratic politics, while at others strengthening it. One type of religion-state relationship, which I term “benevolent secularism,” has been decisive in securing the twin tolerations, even in the context of a dominant religious majority. Institutional design matters both during critical junctures, “secular emergence,” and over time as institutions confront new challenges in periods of “secular evolution.” During critical junctures, institutional design shapes the preferences of key blocs of actors: the religious majority, political elites, and religious minorities. Over time, these institutional effects within blocs facilitate coalition alliances among these groups that (1) reduce the severity of religious-secular divide and (2) improve interfaith relations. I test these hypothesized institutional effects with a mixed-methods research design that incorporates data from three least-likely cases for the twin tolerations: Ireland, Senegal, and the Philippines. Archival research documents the impact of institutional design at critical junctures, elite interviews track coalition alliances over time, and public opinion data tests whether these alliances exist among the general public.
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