The article begins by contrasting the vastly different responses of the British and American governments to their respective Muslim minority populations. In Britain, the Labor Party actively courted the Muslim vote in the 2017 mayoral elections, while in the US, President Trump issued a ban on entry from Muslim-majority countries in the same year. This stark difference highlights the core research question: how do the political influences of Muslim communities shape policy in these two countries, particularly given their close historical and geopolitical ties? The article argues that Britain's policies empower its Muslim community, granting it significant political control, in contrast to the US, which largely ignores the uniqueness of its Muslim minority. This difference is attributed to the varying levels of political power held by Muslim communities in each country. A comparative case study spanning 2000-2020 examines five factors linking policy to the political and electoral strength of Muslim minorities: the influence of colonialism, demographics, the “Muslim” citizen identity, integration policies, and the influence of the Muslim lobby. The central hypothesis is that the political and electoral strength of the Muslim minority is significantly greater in Britain than in the US, impacting policy formulation in both countries. The study draws upon various theoretical frameworks, including regime theory and classical theories of class analysis, framing theory, and constructivist theory, to analyze the interplay of these factors and their effect on policy implementation.

The existing literature, while touching upon aspects of Muslim integration and political participation in the US and UK, largely neglects the crucial role of the electoral factor in shaping policy. Studies on integration often focus on demographic factors and immigrant assimilation, but fail to fully connect these factors with the political power of Muslim communities. Research on the influence of colonial legacies is similarly lacking in its exploration of its ongoing effects on present-day policies toward Muslim minorities. Studies examining the impact of identity politics or the role of the Muslim lobby often treat these in isolation, rather than within a comprehensive comparative framework that considers their combined effect on policy.

The study employs a comparative case study methodology using process tracing to analyze the relationship between the five factors and the outcome (policy). This method allows a detailed examination of causal linkages between the independent variables (five factors) and the dependent variable (political influence and its impact on policy). The data sources include primary sources such as government statements, policy documents, official statistics, and public opinion polls from research institutes in both the US and UK. The analysis focuses on tracing how each of the five factors played out in shaping the political landscape for Muslim minorities and the consequent policy responses in both countries.

The analysis reveals significant differences in the political influence of Muslim minorities across the two countries. **Colonial Influence:** Britain's colonial past fostered a more accommodating environment for Muslim immigrants due to pre-existing administrative structures and cultural familiarity. In contrast, the US's early interactions with the Muslim world were largely shaped by negative perceptions stemming from the Barbary Wars, leading to a less welcoming context. **Demographics:** Britain's Muslim population is larger and more concentrated in specific areas, resulting in a more significant electoral impact compared to the more dispersed and smaller Muslim population in the US. Trump's 2015 Muslim ban inadvertently increased the Muslim population in Britain. **Identity:** British Muslims often prioritize their religious identity over a purely civic identity. This, combined with supportive government policies, strengthens their collective political power and enables them to leverage their electoral strength to influence policies favorable to their community. American Muslims, conversely, tend to prioritize their American identity, leading to less political mobilization and weaker influence on policy. **Integration Policies:** Britain’s integration policies, while aiming to integrate minorities, have inadvertently reinforced the separateness of the Muslim community through specific legislative provisions and accommodations. This has strengthened the Muslim minority's political leverage. The US, conversely, adopts a more assimilationist approach, with integration policies not specifically targeting any particular religious group, resulting in the Muslim community having significantly less political power. **Muslim Lobby:** The Muslim lobby in Britain is more organized, politically active, and exerts greater influence on policy than the more fragmented and less politically active Muslim lobby in the US.

The findings demonstrate that the political power of the Muslim minority significantly shapes policy outcomes in both countries, but in fundamentally different ways. In Britain, the combination of historical context, significant demographics, a strong emphasis on religious identity, unique integration policies, and a robust Muslim lobby contributes to substantial political influence. Conversely, the US's historical context, comparatively smaller and more dispersed Muslim population, a focus on civic rather than religious identity, assimilationist integration policies, and a less influential Muslim lobby resulted in minimal political impact. The study highlights the need to consider the electoral variable as a critical factor in understanding policy outcomes concerning minority communities.

This research offers a novel perspective on understanding the relationship between minority groups and policy-making by emphasizing the role of political power as a mediating factor. The comparative study reveals how historical legacies, demographic realities, identity formation, integration policies, and the effectiveness of interest groups interact to shape political influence and subsequently impact policy formation. Future research should explore the generalizability of these findings to other minority groups and contexts, exploring the nuances of political power dynamics across different socio-political landscapes.

The study focuses on two specific countries, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other national contexts. The analysis relies on publicly available data and may not capture the full complexity of internal dynamics within Muslim communities in both countries. Further qualitative research could enhance the understanding of the internal factors influencing political mobilization and participation within these communities.