Possible Thesis Questions

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Advanced Research Methods

Week 1

Discussion 1

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Topic #1- COINTELPRO

In the early 1960's, the FBI conducted an intelligence/harassment program against various subversive groups within the United States. These groups used violence to promote their political aims, and were a threat to the security of the United States. Overall, this program was known as COINTELPRO. Targets of this program included Leftist groups and the racist Ku Klux Klan. Many of the methods the FBI used to fight these groups were illegal in of themselves. To what extent, if any, did political influence create different approaches to the FBI's handling of these two groups? I intend to review the existing research on this issue, then compare that research to source documentation. I will also analyze the source documentation for any information that hasn't been addressed by the current literature. Finally, I will attempt to identify individual participants both within the FBI and the political environment from this analysis with the purpose of interviews. These interviews should provide additional perceptive and experience with the issue.

Topic #2- Suburbanization rates

Crime rates within the United States began to fall in the early 1990's. Some of the possible reasons for this involve harsher punishment such as three-strike laws and Truth-in-Sentencing guidelines. Other possible explanations have been given as the change in youth demographics. One possible explanation that has not been addressed is the contribution that the rate of suburbanization on the crime rate. Victimization surveys show that most crime occurs in high density population areas; suburbanization reduces population density. Considering that other factors may still play a part in determining crime rate, the question would be to what extent does suburbanization play in reducing the crime rate. Research would need to analyze as many possible reasons for the drop in crime rate as possible, then identify an area in which all other factors remained the same while suburbanization levels changed.

Topic #3 – Sanctity of oath

The recent standoff between the Bundy ranch family and their supporters versus the BLM could be argued as a case of government overreach. Moving past the issues of possible corruption, militarization of law enforcement, and over regulation is the fundamental question: at what point does a law enforcement officer adhere to his oath to the public (or to the Constitution), and refuse to serve an arrest warrant or to otherwise provide enforcement services if the officer feels that the order is unjust. Answering this question would involve a review of the oaths that officers swear upon becoming officers and a review of ethics training for officers. These reviews would have to be performed across different levels of jurisdiction as well. Finally, after this material has been reviewed, the researcher would need to identify peace officers that had been involved in such situations, both officers that had refused to carry out such orders, and officers that had enforced the law, and interview them.

I intend to make topic #1 the focus of my study for this course; it is also, at the time, the topic of my thesis. I first became of COINTELPRO when I studied the terror activities committed by members of the peace movement during the Vietnam war. To begin with, I found that these activities weren't committed by peace groups per se, but rather by leftist groups using the peace movement as a cause celebre and as a cover. I also became aware of the war the FBI conducted against the leftist terrorists, and gradually of the war conducted against the Klan. Personally, I don't see a moral issue with the concept overall of fighting violent subversive groups; although I think the methods need to be defined legally, and that LEO efforts need to remain in the legal sphere. I did perceive a difference in effort expended between the Klan and the leftists, although that may be as a result of my own bias against leftists. Hopefully, an in-depth series of carefully conducted research will give3 me an accurate appraisal of this perception.

Cunningham, D. (2003, Fall). Understanding state responses to Left- versus Right-Wing threats: The FBI’s Repression of the New Left and the Ku Klux Klan. Social Science History27:3,327–70. Retrieved July 2, 2014 from http://www.somuchthis.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/stateRepressionLvR.pdf

Schrader, S. (2013, Janruary 31). "Anti-Klan (Part 1)": The FBI, the police, and the KKK. Stuart Schrader. Retrieved July 2, 2014 from http://stuartschrader.com/blog/anti-klan-part-1-fbi-police-and-kkk

Mississippi Historical Review. (2007). The FBI, COINTELPRO-WHITE HATE and the decline of Ku Klux Klan organizations in Mississippi, 1964-1971. Retrieved July 2, 2014 from http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=11464

I did not add any referred readings, so I will provide some reference material:

Topic #1
Cunningham, D. (2003, Fall). Understanding state responses to Left- versus Right-Wing threats: The FBI’s Repression of the New Left and the Ku Klux Klan. Social Science History27:3,327–70. Retrieved July 2, 2014 from http://www.somuchthis.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/stateRepressionLvR.pdf

Mississippi Historical Review. (2007). The FBI, COINTELPRO-WHITE HATE and the decline of Ku Klux Klan organizations in Mississippi, 1964-1971. Retrieved July 2, 2014 from http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=11464

Schrader, S. (2013, Janruary 31). "Anti-Klan (Part 1)": The FBI, the police, and the KKK. Stuart Schrader. Retrieved July 2, 2014 from http://stuartschrader.com/blog/anti-klan-part-1-fbi-police-and-kkk

Topic  #2

I find this issue fascinating, but I don't see time to research it myself.  If anyone wants to run with this one, I have uploaded some studies to the Doc Sharing function of the course website:

Demographic Trends in the 20th CenturyCensus 2000 Special Reports (US Census)

Demography and Population Loss from Central Cities, 1950-2000 (California Center for Population Research, UCLA)

Population Growth in  Metro America since 1980:Putting the Volatile 2000s in Perspective (Brookings Metropolitan Policy program)

Topic #3 
I haven't done any research in this area yet, but this will be a sub theme of my studies in this program

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Title: Spying on America : The FBI's Domestic Counterintelligence Program

Author: Davis, James Kirkpatrick Date: 1992
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzE1MjQxOF9fQU41?sid=92fe5f19-5016-4225-9356-c996d2c8bd99@sessionmgr111&vid=1&format=EB&lpid=lp_73&rid=0