Hypothesis:

The rise of social media over the past twenty years has led to an increase in election interference and radical politics.

Outline

Introduction:

• History of Social Media
  • As well as the history of “radicalism”
• Establish how social media can be used for propaganda
• Hypothesis

Literature Review:

• Descriptions of how social media can be used to interfere with elections
  • Utilizing Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and congressional investigative commissions documents and research, describing how Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
• Explanations of how the rise of the internet and social media created new homes for fringe groups
  • How those fringe groups have spread
• How social media companies have addressed these issues

Methodology:

• A survey will be utilized
  • Taking a sampling of my family, friends, and friends’ family as well as anyone else I can reach with the survey
• Questions will revolve around the usage of social media (and how it increased over time), which political party you affiliate with, and then opinions on major political issues that have developed over the past 4 years
  • Possible topics: Election Interference, Covid, Trump v. Biden, BLM/”Critical Race Theory”, etc.
  • Also questions regarding how they may have changed their opinions over time
• Hypothesis supported by an increase in social media usage and increase acceptance of “radical” political ideas
  • Hypothesis not proven if no discernable connection can be made between social media and political views

Discussion:

• This section will include discussions on why I chose the methodology I did, and what I hoped to learn from it
• How can this study potentially be done better or again in the future
• Summation of hypothesis, research, and documentation provided during the paper.