RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Joshua Drasin
Intern-Mentor G/T
2020-21

Research Title: American Individualism and the Suppression of Left Wing Policies

Overview of Research

This research project will be focused on understanding the role that American individualism plays in
the political process, notably in the suppression of progressive and left-wing policy. To make the study on
political ideologies more tangible, the research will try to understand the history of public sentiments
towards the government (with public opinion polling) and how this trust has changed over time.
Additionally, the research will focus on judicial rulings that have indicated public opinion towards the role of
self-autonomy in politics and policy. Finally, this research will study how political campaigns have interacted
with American individualism, and how this has changed since in the modern era (post World War 2). To
achieve all of these ends, a document analysis will be conducted to investgate the changes of American
Individualism and related data.

Background/History of the Issue and Rationale for Research

American politics have always been rooted in American values, as in a democracy, the power flows
from the people. Depending on the issues and values of the time, politicians have acted in accordance with
American opinion. For example, the 1964 Civil Rights Act represented an evolution in American opinion
surrounding race and American values of equality. However, while evolving opinion and values have had an
effect on politics, so too has the persistence of American values that have been entrenched into the fabric of
American politics for centuries. One of the most pervasive values have been the idea of individualism-
self-reliance and liberty from the influence of government. Enshrined into the First Amendment of the
Constitution are the words “Congress shall make no law [...] prohibiting the free exercise thereof [...]
abridging the freedom of speech [...] press [...] to assemble, and to petition.” In the modern day, this public
desire for individualism manifests itself in political campaigns and legislation, with politicians constructing
their campaigns and rhetoric based on protecting their values of individualism. Moreover, political parties,
recognizing this public appetite, have shaped their platforms based on their own interpretations of
individualism. For example, more liberal platforms protect a women’s right to choose, while more
conservative platforms protect the right to bear arms.

As individualism is an American value, it plays an important role in determining American laws. By

analyzing the history and effects of individualism on said laws, this research will help give greater context to
current laws and how they came to be. More than just understanding the context of laws, this research will
also help people avoid the pitfalls of modern political dogma- blindly following a principle of ideas from a
political party or politician. Through this historical and evidence-based analysis, one will have the ability to
make their own independent judgements on their opinion of the importance of individualism in American
laws, free from pervasive political rhetoric and propaganda.

G/T Independent Research and G/T Intern/Mentor Program Curriculum

Research Methodology (include the four subheadings listed below to organize this section)
● Research Question/Hypothesis
o The research question is “How have American values of individualism affected political
campaigns and legislation?” In response to that question, the hypothesis is “American
individualism has centralized the political process around bringing liberty to political parties’
constituencies, thus suppressing collectivist left-wing policies and contributing to the
center-right tilt of the United States’ politics.”
● Basis of Hypothesis
o During political campaigns, candidates use slogans to paint their platforms with broad strokes.
In the 2008 Presidential Election, Democratic nominee Barack Obama’s slogan, “Change we
can believe in”, reflected his campaign platform of progressive economic policies, taking
from the phrase “Sí, se puede” during the 1970s and the mobilization of the US Farm Workers
under labor activists Cesar Chaves and Dolores Huerta (Hodges, 2010). In the same way,
politicians demonstrate their prioritization of individualism and the common person. For
example, 2012 Republican nominee for President, Mitt Romney’s campaign slogan was
“Believe in America,” reflecting his pro-business and pro-liberty platform (Lee, 2012). As
the American public’s opinion of the government has reached record low trust- The Pew
Research Center (2019) reports that a record low of only 17% of Americans trust the
government- individualism and freedom from the unpopular government has been
increasingly popular. As anti-government sentiment has become more prevalent,
individualism shifted the political center rightward, suppressing progressive policies and
campaigns that advocate for increased government roles and collectivism.
● Research Design
o The research design will use both qualitative and quantitative (mixed methods) data
collection, descriptive research methods and document analysis, The research will be
primarily analyzing two types of data; public opinion polling and case studies of presidential
campaigns. The former will be used to understand the trends of American trust of the
government and how that relates/correlates with the types of legislation being passed. The
latter will focus on the platforms of various candidates (in case studies) and how their
economic platforms correlated with votes received. The two in combination will be insightful
into finding out the extent to which individualism impacts legislation and elections.
● Operational Definitions
o Individualism: A personal ideology that favors deregulation, self-governance, and whenever
possible, freedom from governmental regulation and other governmental programs.
o Collectivism: A personal ideology that favors government expansion as a method to solve
societal issues, valuing a group mentality and expanded social programs.
o American values: Public sentiment and desires held by Americans at a particular time in
favoring a certain type of political rhetoric and/or legislation.

G/T Independent Research and G/T Intern/Mentor Program Curriculum

 Research Proposal Rubric

SECTION DUE DATE RUBRIC Points

Research Title Flexible?? Clear, informative, and attention-grabbing

Background and 11/9 Student provided the background or history

History of the of the problem, including relevant statistics
Issue and (with citations!).
Rationale
Student presented the problem (if one exists
for your research) and the rationale as to
why the problem is significant and who
could benefit from this research (with
citations as needed).

Grammar, mechanics, spelling, etc.

Research Student includes a hypothesis that

Methodology: accurately addresses the question and can be
Question and addressed within the limitations of
Hypothesis, environment.
Basis of
Hypothesis Discussion of basis, including supports (i.e.
references or specific citations) from the
literature, discusses why certain variables
were chosen.

Grammar, mechanics, spelling, etc.

Research Qual/Quan, design model, and data

Methodology: collection method
Research
Design and Addressed variables, offered researcher’s
Operational definition of subjective labels
Definitions
Grammar, mechanics, spelling, etc.

Overview of Student identified the area of investigation,

Research including the specific area to be
researched/studied.

Pulling it together comments:

_____ The scope of your research is too broad. Focus the topic.
_____ Your proposed topic essentially recycles already available information. Consider how to make it more original
or useful.
_____ Clarify the difference between the paper topic, project, the product you’re proposing, and how you’re
presenting it.
_____ Clarify what questions/topics your paper will explore.
G/T Independent Research and G/T Intern/Mentor Program Curriculum
_____ The research design you’ve proposed is not the most appropriate choice for this project. Consider this
instead:_________________
_____ Be more specific about how you are creating information/doing primary research.

G/T Independent Research and G/T Intern/Mentor Program Curriculum