Date on Senior Honors Thesis
5-2017
Document Type
Senior Honors Thesis
Degree Name
B.A.
Department
Communication
Degree Program
College of Arts and Sciences
Author's Keywords
religion; politics; evangelical; endorsements; Donald Trump
Abstract
When it comes to the political realm, evangelicals often support candidates whose moral values and stances on social issues align with their religious preferences. Given the coalitions between evangelical leaders and Republican politicians dating back to the late 1970s, the fact that evangelical leaders would endorse the Republican presidential candidate in the 2016 election cycle would not have been an issue of contention had that candidate not been Donald Trump, a man whose rhetoric and actions were, at times, antithetical to evangelical Christianity. Although many evangelical leaders denounced Trump and encouraged their supporters to do the same, some leaders of the Religious Right endorsed him and played a pivotal role in encouraging evangelical voters to support the Republican nominee. This paper analyzes the personal and policy motivations for supporting Trump expressed by four evangelical leaders – James Dobson, Mark Burns, Paula White, and Jerry Falwell, Jr. – and argues that these motivations overshadowed the moral shortcomings of Trump.
Recommended Citation
Hachten, Benjamin F, "The policy and personal motivations behind the endorsement of Donald Trump by four evangelical endorsers." (2017). College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses. Paper 146.
http://doi.org/10.18297/honors/146
Lay Summary
When it comes to the political realm, evangelicals often support candidates whose moral values and stances on social issues align with their religious preferences. Given the coalitions between evangelical leaders and Republican politicians dating back to the late 1970s, the fact that evangelical leaders would endorse the Republican presidential candidate in the 2016 election cycle would not have been an issue of contention had that candidate not been Donald Trump, a man whose rhetoric and actions were, at times, antithetical to evangelical Christianity. Although many evangelical leaders denounced Trump and encouraged their supporters to do the same, some leaders of the Religious Right endorsed him and played a pivotal role in encouraging evangelical voters to support the Republican nominee. This paper analyzes the personal and policy motivations for supporting Trump expressed by four evangelical leaders – James Dobson, Mark Burns, Paula White, and Jerry Falwell, Jr. – and argues that these motivations overshadowed the moral shortcomings of Trump.
Included in
Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Journalism Studies Commons, Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons
