Investigates Turkey and Israels contrasting treatment of religion and demonstrates how this treatment has had a significant impact on these countries democratic performance.In this comparative study of the religionstate relationship in Turkey and Israel in the modern era Bounded Integration reveals the influence this dynamic interaction has had on democratic performance in both countries. In societies where a dominant religion serves as an important component of individual and collective identity the imposition of secular policies from above may not facilitate democratization but may rather impede the embedding of democracy in society. Moreover the inclusion or exclusion of religion following statehood may facilitate a certain type of pathdependent political culture one with longterm political consequences.