Eleanore Hoffmeyer is a third-year History student with a Global Studies minor pursuing college and departmental research. Her research focuses on the relationship between neoliberalism and evangelicalism, examining the persuasive power of neoliberalism to motivate evangelicals in their political activity. Her research questions consider what has driven evangelicals, whose identity lies within their religious beliefs, beyond the religious sphere and into the forefront of politics. Her studies focus on two powerful players of evangelicals in America today, being (1) conservative evangelicals and (2) mega-evangelicals, most widely associated with the rise of the megachurch. In tracing the chronological history of these two groups starting in the 1980s, her research evaluates and characterizes their relationship to neoliberalism and tracks its political consequences. Through her studies, she intends to shed light on evangelicals’ status as a diverse and powerful political voting bloc and understand the motivation behind their voting tendencies. Additionally, she hopes her research will reveal the pervasive dangers of neoliberalism in its ability to influence different sectors of the American populace. Beyond her research, Eleanore serves as a JusticeCorp member helping litigants in Los Angeles courthouses and is involved with IGNITE and RUF on campus. She plans to attend law school and pursue a career as an attorney or become further involved with public policy.
