J D Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, has been making headlines recently for his impressive debate performance and his engagement with the American public. However, as a political entity, he is largely unknown. What we do know about him can be gauged from his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (2016), in which Vance offers a personal account of growing up in the economically distressed Appalachian region of the US. While his reflections on culture, family, and politics have sparked a wide array of interpretations, Vance's ideology emerges as one deeply influenced by his experiences with poverty, instability, and the values of his community. Vance describes the predominantly white hillbillies as having less in common with the educated, upwardly mobile whites of the Northeast. Instead, he argues that they are closer in characteristics to Southern blacks. This post-racial conceptualisation of politics indicates his belief that broken communities rather than skin colour are the lens through which America should be studied. Cultural decay and personal responsibility At the heart of Vance's ideology is his belief in the significance of culture in shaping individuals’ lives and futures. In Hillbilly Elegy, he describes the cultural issues which he thinks prevent the white working class from achieving upward mobility. He states, “We spend our way into the poorhouse. Most people who have trouble affording basic necessities are in that position for a simple reason: they spend money when they shouldn’t.” Vance argues that self-destructive behaviours, like overspending or reliance on welfare, contribute significantly to the cycle of poverty in his community. Vance sees this cultural decay not just in financial irresponsibility but also in a lack of initiative and ambition. He writes, “The truth is hard, and the hardest part is accepting how little we can do to fix these problems ourselves.” He identifies a sort of learned helplessness that permeates his community, where he says people have grown accustomed to failure and are unwilling to take the steps necessary to change their circumstances. One of those steps, in his view, is to embrace religion. Faith was central to his grandmother’s life, and Vance credits his father’s positive transformation to him embracing religious values. He also cites studies that show religious people are more likely to be happy and upwardly mobile and less likely to commit crimes. In Appalachia, he laments, church attendance has declined, reaching levels comparable to liberal San Francisco. Church is a means to solve many of the issues Vance writes about — it can be a community for alcoholics, can provide parental guidance to pregnant teens, and can facilitate employment opportunities. “In the broken world I saw around me,” he writes, “religion offered tangible assistance to keep the faithful on track.” Government role and the welfare debate Though Vance acknowledges the structural inequalities that contribute to poverty, his stance on government aid is critical. He contends that the government often exacerbates the problems of the poor by encouraging dependency rather than fostering independence. In Hillbilly Elegy, he states, “our government encouraged the creation of a certain type of poverty. it fostered laziness and created a self-perpetuating cycle of economic despair.” This perspective on welfare aligns Vance with conservative critiques of government programmes. He believes that while social safety nets may have good intentions, they can inadvertently erode the work ethic of those they aim to help. He writes about a deep-seated mistrust for his fellow working class, and drug addicts who use welfare benefits to buy steaks he could never afford, using his hard-earned taxes to do so. Vance seems to have an almost libertarian mistrust of government, and its role in the daily lives of Americans. When he was made to testify at trial against his mother abusing him, he admitted to lying to keep her out of jail. His grandparents, he writes, were furious with his mother, but didn’t want their daughter in jail either. Similarly, when his mother was made to submit a urine sample to test for drugs, he gave her his instead. These things were a family matter, one that the government did not need to interfere with. Community, family, and the cycle of dysfunction Much of Vance’s ideology is shaped by his reflections on family and community, both of which he views as crucial to the success or failure of individuals. In Hillbilly Elegy, he details the chaos of his upbringing, marked by his mother’s addiction and instability, and the contrasting stability provided by his grandparents, particularly his grandmother, Mamaw. “Mamaw knew that she had to intervene in my life. She saw the reality that most people ignore: kids like me are free to live in chaos,” Vance writes. While Vance acknowledges that his grandparents were complex, their complexities were justified by their strong sense of loyalty towards the family unit. He writes, “They were the scariest people I knew — old hillbillies that carried loaded guns in their coat pockets and under their car seats, no matter the occasion. They kept the monsters at bay.” This emphasis on love, loyalty, discipline, and stability forms the backbone of his belief in the importance of traditional family values. Vance suggests that the decline of these values, including the erosion of marriage and stable homes, contributes significantly to the problems facing his community. Vance is married to Usha Chilukuri, a child of Indian immigrants, whom he met at Yale Law School. In many ways, the book shows how Chilukuri represents a bridge between the old and new worlds in Vance’s life: his roots in Appalachian poverty and the educated, and upwardly mobile life he has built with her. Vance shows she challenges him to reconcile these worlds, showing him that traditional family values can thrive in modern, multicultural contexts. Vance writes, “What Usha showed me was that strong family bonds, across cultures, are essential to success —whether in a small town in Ohio or an immigrant community.” Political disillusionment and the working-class vote Hillbilly Elegy also provides insights into Vance’s views on politics and the growing disillusionment of the white working class. He describes a sense of betrayal among his community, particularly in their loss of faith in the American Dream. “We believed, truly believed, that the American dream was ours,” Vance writes. “But now we see that it’s harder and harder for people like us to make it.” This sense of disenfranchisement has driven many in Vance’s community toward political extremism and resentment toward elites, whom they perceive as indifferent to their struggles. In discussing his community's shifting political loyalties, Vance reflects on the rise of populism and the attraction of leaders who promise to fight for the “forgotten man.” While he is critical of both political parties, Vance’s critiques often align with conservative ideals of cultural values and self-reliance. He acknowledges the populist appeal but urges his readers to focus more on what they can change in themselves and their communities, rather than waiting for a political saviour. J D Vance’s ideology, as articulated in Hillbilly Elegy, is rooted in a deep understanding of the struggles of the white working class, but his solutions are not purely economic or political. Instead, he emphasises the importance of cultural change, personal responsibility, and family stability. Vance’s views challenge both progressive and conservative narratives, calling for a more nuanced approach that addresses both the structural and cultural issues that perpetuate poverty in rural America. As such, his work continues to spark debate on the role of government, the decline of the American Dream, and the future of working-class communities across the nation.
