Editing Phelps County, Missouri (section)

====Political culture====
At the presidential level, Phelps County is a fairly Republican-leaning county despite containing a relatively large university. [[George W. Bush]] easily carried Phelps County in [[2000 United States presidential election|2000]] and [[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]. [[Bill Clinton]] was the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Phelps County in [[1992 United States presidential election|1992]], and like many of the rural counties throughout Missouri, Phelps County favored [[John McCain]] over [[Barack Obama]] in [[2008 United States presidential election|2008]]. It moved even further to the Right when it voted at record numbers for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. Trump received the most votes any candidate ever has, in Phelps county—for President—in 2020, and took 68% of the vote. In 2024, Trump became the first Republican in history to achieve over 70% of the vote, something that only one person had achieved before, that being [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] during his overwhelming landslide in 1932.

Like most rural areas throughout central Missouri, voters in Phelps County generally adhere to socially and culturally [[Conservatism|conservative]] principles which tend to influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on [[Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2004)|a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman]]—it overwhelmingly passed Phelps County with 77.94 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban [[same-sex marriage]]. In 2006, Missourians voted on [[Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2006)|a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state]]—it failed in Phelps County with 52.25 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve [[Embryonic stem cell|embryonic stem cell research]]. Despite Phelps County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing [[Populism|populist]] causes like increasing the [[minimum wage]]. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Phelps County with 69.42 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.