‘How Much a Dollar Cost?’ Political Ideology, Religion, and Poverty Policy Through the Lens of Kendrick Lamar’s Music
40 Pages Posted: 18 Jan 2018
Date Written: January 18, 2018
Abstract
The election of Donald Trump to President of the United States casts in stark relief the ideals of a portion of his base — white evangelical voters — and his policies as they impact the working-class and poor. The Christian ethos has long-been typified by concern for “the least of these,” at least in theory. Paradoxically, white evangelical voters lined-up behind, and continue to do so, a man with little regard for the working-class or poor. In fact, his policies reflect such. This article highlights that paradox — the notion that (1) Christians are supposed to care about the poor and downtrodden; (2) political conservatives often score higher on metrics of religious attitudes than liberals; and (3) but in practice, political conservatives often embrace attitudes and policies that are harmful to the working-class and poor. This paradox is analyzed through the lens of rapper, Kendrick Lamar’s song “How Much a Dollar Cost?”
Keywords: voters, voting, white Evangelical voters, political conservatism and working class
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