Gregory A. Smith is the associate director of research at the Pew Research Center. He’s an expert on religion in America. Arrange interviews through Anna Schiller.

Melani McAlister is an associate professor of American studies and international affairs at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She participated in a February 2008 roundtable discussion about American evangelicals and the 2008 primaries at Princeton University’s Center for the Study of Religion. She is also at work on a book about American evangelicals and global vision.

Read a Nov. 4, 2012, NBCNews.com article that found that 1,600 pastors across the U.S. violated the long-standing ban on political endorsement by churches in October of 2012.

Read a Jan. 14, 2008, Las Vegas Review-Journal article about a pastor’s backing of Obama during a worship service at the Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ. The comments prompted Americans United for Separation of Church and State to request an IRS investigation of the church.

Read a Jan. 20, 2008, Associated Press story about Houston megachurch pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell’s endorsement of Obama. The story appeared in the Houston Chronicle.

Read a Feb. 14, 2008, Los Angeles Times story about the IRS examining a California clergyman’s use of church letterhead to endorse Huckabee. According to the article, when it became public that Americans United for Separation of Church and State was asking the IRS to investigate, the pastor, Wiley S. Drake, encouraged supporters to pray […]

Read a Nov. 2, 2012 PBS article about one church leaders’ fight against the IRS’ prohibition of religious endorsement of political candidates.

Read a Nov. 10, 2008 article about the ongoing debate on whether or not religious leaders should endorse candidates in elections. The site includes links to both the pro and con side of the debate.

Read an Oct. 7, 2012, article about religious leaders’ political endorsements of candidates on the basis of religious freedom and freedom of speech.