The Impression of American Individualism: An Examination of Commitment to Civil Liberties Before and After 9/11

• In Event: Fear and Politics

Abstract

The purpose of this proposed research is to examine the broader nature of the impact of 9/11 on commitment to civil liberties in America. The political, social, and economic environments we live in are often exposed to many unpredicted incidents/events. In the aftermath of 9/11 in the United States, commitments to democratic principles were called into question. The particular data set used for this study is unique in that a random, representative survey was conducted pre- and post- 9/11, which can offer some insight into the change in commitment to civil liberties. Some hypotheses examined are:
1) Commitment to civil liberties will decrease from pre- to post- 9/11.
2) Individuals who favor community orientation, as opposed to individual orientation, will have lower levels of commitment to civil liberties.
While the data set is restricted to a single city in Florida, it still can provide some useful insight to assess the impact of such catalyzing events that occur not only in America, but elsewhere. The impact of the change in commitment to civil liberties can have far-reaching consequences on other realms of society, such as increases in security measures that infringe on individual privacy (at the national or local level).

Authors

• Karisma Patel, Florida State University

• Ashley Russell, Florida State University