The Correlation Between Rising Family Poverty and the Increased Vote Share for Trump
When votes shift, is it just politics, or is something deeper at play? This report investigates a striking pattern. In states where Trump gained more votes in 2020 compared to 2016, there was also a noticeable rise in family poverty. What does this tell us about the intersection of economic challenges and political decisions?
In the chart, I use two colors on the bars to show the changes in Trump’s votes: red bars means he got fewer votes than before, and green bars means he got more. The taller the bar, the bigger the change in votes. Along with these bars, there’s a line that goes across the chart. This line shows us the number of families in poverty in each state. Whats interesting to see in this chart is that in many places, the more families there are in poverty, the more votes Trump gained. When you see a lot of green bars and the poverty line going up, it means that in states where more families are struggling with money, more people voted for Trump. Consequently, this chart doesn’t tell us the whole story. People vote for many reasons, and money is just one of them. So, while we see a pattern here, it’s not the only thing that affects how people decide to vote. This chart is a good starting point to think about why people might have voted the way they did, especially when they’re facing tough times.
Possibilities for this correlations include but are not limited to:
When peoples are struggling with money, they often look for leaders who promise to bring what they wish into reality. In places where jobs have disappeared and communities have changed alot, some voters feel left out. They might miss the way things used to be and feel unsure about how everythings changing so fast. Donald Trump talked alot about bringing back traditional values and being tough on immigration. This kind of talk seemed to connect with folks who felt like the world was moving on without them. He made them feel heard and promised to take care of their worries about the future. This feeling of being understood, especially when mixed with worries about money and jobs, likely influenced many voters.
Populist talk, which is all about focusing on regular peoples problems and standing up to the big guys, can be really appealing when times are tough. Trump had a way of talking that felt real and direct to many people. He seemed different from usual politicians and acted like he was on the side of everyday Americans. By saying he was fighting for the ‘forgotten’ people and promising to fix the economy and create jobs, Trump gave hope to those who felt left behind in a changing world. This kind of message, especially in states where more families were falling into poverty, shows why someone like Trump, who promised to shake things up and look out for the little guy, got more support.
Having financial struggles can really push people to want different leaders. In the last few years, some states with more poverty started supporting Donald Trump more. Trump was all about shaking things up and making big changes. He told people he would fix the economy and bring back jobs, especially in places that were hurting. For people who were having a tough time finding work or making enough money, Trump seemed like someone who might make things better. He promised to change the rules and help people who felt forgotten by the big politicians. This idea of turning things around and improving their money situation probably made alot of voters choose Trump, hoping for a better future.
While there are numerous factors at play, pinpointing the most impactful one is challenging. However, it’s worthwhile to consider the following key elements, which could shed light on the observed trends and patterns.
