Why Ultraconservative Christians Vote for Trump

Gert Pickel. Photo: Swen Reichhold, Leipzig University - For the two candidates in the United States presidential campaign, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, it is hardly worth trying to change voters' minds: this is the view of researchers Dr Alexander Yendell and Professor Gert Pickel from Leipzig University. In a blog post for the University's Research Centre Global Dynamics (ReCentGlobe), the sociologist and religious sociology expert analysed the voting behaviour of US citizens. In our interview, Gert Pickel explains why the role of ultraconservative evangelicals is so important. Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden seem to have focused their campaign strategies on those voters who are already likely to vote for them. Why might this tactic, which excludes many other groups, pay off? This can be difficult to understand from our European perspective. But it's important to remember that for a long time the US has had a complex two-party system. Many families have voted for the same party for generations, so they are either Democrat or Republican. Even though the situation is constantly changing, these people remain loyal to their party. So it is less worthwhile for the two candidates to woo new groups of voters than to mobilise those who are already more likely to vote for them - especially since US voter turnout often barely exceeds 50 per cent. It's about getting your own people to the ballot box. Donald Trump is focusing strongly on evangelical Christians, who account for some 23 per cent of voters in the United States. Can he count on their support?