Plurality Policy and the Politics of Polygamous People.

State officials, concerned about women and children’s welfare, surround a community of Mormon polygamists intent on protecting families and the sensibilities of the community. The system, faced by an overwhelming number of women and children and by unfamiliar and confusing family ties, stumbles forward with prosecutions drawing national media attention. This is a familiar story to anyone who watched the raid unfold at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Eldorado, Texas in 2008 but has actually repeated itself 3 times over the past 150 years. This paper looks at religiously motivated plural marriages within its midst as an ideal type to understand how the presence of religious polygamy has impacted or failed to impact policy in America. It provides an overview of the history of Mormon polygamy as a religious doctrine and proceeds to examine how America has responded to polygamy based on three fundamental issues: 1) the role of dissenting religions impact public policy, 2) the level of government addressing the policy issue, and 3) the role of government in protecting children, families, and free religious practice? The paper concludes with policy recommendations for responding to American polygamy. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]