1. Who are the ‘nones’? How are they defined?

Religious “nones” are people who describe themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religious affiliation in our surveys. To measure religious affiliation in the United States, we asked: “What is your present religion, if any?” followed by a list of options: Respondents who choose atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” […]