Publications [#255572] of Mark Chaves

Publications

1. Chaves Mark, Debunking Charitable Choice: The Evidence Doesn’t Support the Political Left or Right, Stanford Social Innovation Review, vol. 1 no. 2 (2003), pp. 28-36, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Stanford University
   (last updated on 2025/06/15)

   Abstract:
   When it comes to domestic policy, few issues are more divisive these days than charitable choice, the vast array of legislative, administrative, and outreach efforts designed to increase the flow of public funds to religious organizations. Opponents see charitable choice as an attack on the separation of church and state, and fear it will lead to publicly funded proselytizing. Others fear that the initiatives will lead to federally funded employment discrimination. Three misguided assumptions about charitable choice are: 1) There is significant discrimination against religious organizations in competition for government grants and contracts, 2) Religious congregations are intensively involved in social service activity, and 3) Religious organizations deliver services in a more personal way, focusing on deep transformation rather than short-term solutions. Catholic and liberal/moderate Protestant congregations are significantly more likely to apply for government funds in support of social service activities than are conservative/Evangelical congregations.