Do you have to be religious to get elected as President of the United States?
Over two weeks, Matthew Wells will be looking at the influence of religion on the forthcoming race for the White House.
In the first programme he asks whether an atheist could ever be elected as President. Recently, Senator Peter Stark became the first politician to 'come out' as an atheist. Surveys consistently show the majority of voters would never pick a candidate who didn't believe in God. The personal faith of candidates for the 2008 election has become a significant part of the presidential campaign.
It's the Democratic candidates who appear to be the most successful in playing the 'God card'. Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama have both hired strategists to focus on reaching religious voters. Matthew will examine why personal faith has become such a vital part of a candidate's winning formula and how individuals are using religion to garner support.
In the second programme, Matthew explores the power of the Religious Right. In the last election, 90% of conservative evangelical Christians voted for George W Bush. But now splits are appearing in the movement which could seriously diminish its political influence. There's also a new generation of church leaders who are questioning whether the Republican Party really is the natural party of Christian government.
This is one of the most open Presidential elections for decades and while religion is as deeply ingrained in American political life as ever, it seems that politicians cannot succeed without faith.
