The New Evangelicals: How Donald Trump Revealed the Changing Christian Conservative base

Author

Michael J. Herbert

Date of Award

4-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

Dr. Patrick Donnay

Abstract

I analyze how Donald Trump, who many see as an uncertain standard bearer of Christian values, given his colored personal life and various tortured exchanges on the Bible, became the champion of Christian conservatives. Using Pew data from a January 27th, 2016 survey, I analyze how the Republican presidential candidate went from the lowest rankings of religious association just 10 months prior, to winning the highest white evangelical support since George W. Bush in 2004. More research will be conducted on how the specific group known as evangelical voters has changed, as well as what other variables such as economic, gender equality, and international policy played within the demographic that assisted in voting for president elect Donald Trump. This project will contribute to understanding the results of the 2016 presidential campaign, and specifically the behavior of the white evangelical vote. Although Donald Trump did not show significance in numerous religious variables, control variables such as Republican identity were a strong indicator for supporting Trump as a potentially great president upon his election. By analyzing changing and complex evangelical voting trends, along with the changing influence of religion on American society, I believe Donald Trump’s election win revealed a major section of the U.S. electorate’s true message: to be represented regardless of a candidate’s personal background in an increasingly secular American society.

Recommended Citation

Herbert, Michael J., "The New Evangelicals: How Donald Trump Revealed the Changing Christian Conservative base" (2017). Political Science Theses and Capstones. 60.
https://pines.bemidjistate.edu/capstone-polisci/60