This is the paradox of it all, disenfranchised people voting against their own best interests, all the time. This is populism, this is 2026. yay.
You can see this in JD Vance's book for example. He argues that the cause of misery in Appalachia is that people are too lazy to work and being on the dole creates a cycle of poverty. He concludes this from like two anecdotes and then argues that we can fix Appalachian poverty by cutting welfare programs.
2) Have you ever looked up what dollar value is of a family that receives welfare? Its around $80k when you account for food, healthcare, rent controls, child care, cell phone plans and the many many other benefits that are present In the modern system. Do you really think that someone who lives on that is going to risk losing part or maybe all of their welfare benefits if they go to start working a minimum wage job that will make them maybe $40k a year?
And yet he managed to make so many claims that are not supported by evidence.
> Have you ever looked up what dollar value is of a family that receives welfare? Its around $80k when you account for food, healthcare, rent controls, child care, cell phone plans and the many many other benefits that are present In the modern system. Do you really think that someone who lives on that is going to risk losing part or maybe all of their welfare benefits if they go to start working a minimum wage job that will make them maybe $40k a year?
Welfare cliffs exist. They are things to be fixed. The idea that they are the cause of misery in Appalachia is outrageous.