Date of Graduation

5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Political Science

Advisor/Mentor

Song, Geoboo

Committee Member/Reader

Jensen, Sarah

Committee Member/Second Reader

Ryan, Jeffery

Committee Member/Third Reader

Thomas, Johanna M.

Abstract

Since the 1990s, approximately 1.1 billion people have escaped poverty across the globe, and they no longer must live on less than $2.00 a day. This progress has been consistent over the last 20 years, but recent social and economic disruptions have led to a steadily increasing number of people struggling under the weight of extreme poverty. Data collected by the World Bank shows that 88 to 115 million people are projected to be pushed into extreme poverty because of the 2020 economic downturn and coronavirus pandemic. There are hundreds of nonprofit organizations that donate time and money towards the eradication of global poverty, but they all struggle to identify the ideal donor. This research measured the demographics, religious affiliations, and political ideology of University of Arkansas students to identify whether their affiliations impacted their expected behavior as it relates to charitable giving. Contrary to popular belief, the world’s biggest issues will not heal on their own. The reality of the situation is that nothing can be accomplished if more people do not get involved to donate, advocate, and raise awareness for the issue of extreme poverty. Pulling data from Thomas and McGarty’s experiment on poverty reduction and latent profile analysis, the sample will be grouped into those more likely to support poverty reduction through benevolent actions like donating and those more likely to work actively in the socio-political sphere. Using the data gathered, I plan to determine behavioral trends and how they are influenced by demographics and affiliations. This research has implications that could alter the way that nonprofits, NGOs, and activism groups create their marketing strategies.

Keywords

Behavioral; Attitudes; Political Science; Global Poverty; Poverty Eradication

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