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In Romania, as is the case in other Central and Eastern European states, there was a revival of religious practice after the fall of communism. In addition to the series of explanations proposed in the literature to understand this trend, we bring arguments for a hypothesis that starts from a demographic perspective. The main idea discussed in this paper is that the evolution of the population structure has consequences on its values and beliefs. In this article, we are looking at the evolution of the age structure of the Romanian population. As a result of improving life expectancy, decreasing fertility and a consistently negative net migration, there has been a steady increase in the share of the elderly in population in recent years. This article analyses the relationship between ageing population and religious practice in Romania after 1989. Based on data from 22 opinion polls and administrative data, using correlation analysis specific to small samples, we show that there is a positive association between population ageing and church attendance during the reference period. This association is also preserved when we consider factors suggested by alternative hypotheses, such as the economic situation of the elderly and the economic context of Romania at different moments during the period considered here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of the 'Carol I' National Defence University / Buletinul Universitatii Nationale de Aparare 'Carol I' is the property of Carol I National Defence University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper tries to analyse the posibility of using rationally public opinion as the foundation of the argumentum ad populum, endorsing its premise "everybody accepts or believes proposition X", owing to the scientific nature of public opinion polls. Although usually the ad populum argument is labelled sophism by logic textbooks, its importance, especially in the democratic world, cannot be denied. At the same time, the outcome of the public opinion polls cannot be deemed infallible. This ambivalence of both, the ad populum argument and public opinion polls, leads towards a view of the interaction between them that keeps track of the typical circumstances where they are applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Quality of Life (1018-0389) / Calitatea Vietii is the property of Romanian Academy Publishing House / Editura Academiei Romane and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)