Understanding Evangelical Political Positions in the United States

Abstract

Throughout the history of the United States religious fundamentalism has played a pivotal role in shaping its future. Evangelical Christians have historically been shown to be one of the most prominent religious influences on American governance. From the early days of white settlement of indigenous lands to the political mobilization of Evangelicals in the 1970s Evangelicals discourse has undoubtedly proven to hold strong institutional significance. With Evangelicals making up 25.4% (Religion, 2022) of the population extensive research has been conducted to determine Evangelical political opinion. Despite this documentation, research on individual Evangelical justification is lacking in the general body of knowledge. Through the use of a survey using political polling data followed up with open ended explanation questions, trends with secular and religious justifications were identified. While a small sample size may hinder the conclusiveness of this study, conclusions regarding trends in Evangelical response to gay marriage can be seen as polling data that reflects the general academic consensus. The findings of this survey will serve as a catalyst for further research not only into justifications for Evangelical political opinion but for further research into polling data on underlying justifications for voters in general.