‘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

See all articles by Gregory Scott Parks

Gregory Scott Parks

Wake Forest University - School of Law

Derek S Hicks

Wake Forest University School of Divinity

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

Suggested Citation

Parks, Gregory Scott and Hicks, Derek S, ‘How Much a Dollar Cost?’ Political Ideology, Religion, and Poverty Policy Through the Lens of Kendrick Lamar’s Music (January 18, 2018). Wake Forest Univ. Legal Studies Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3104986 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3104986

Gregory Scott Parks (Contact Author)

Wake Forest University - School of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 7206
Winston-Salem, NC 27109
United States
3367582170 (Phone)

Derek S Hicks

Wake Forest University School of Divinity ( email )

Winston-Salem, NC 27109
United States

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