Assignment Instructions and Template:
Research Paper Proposal
A formal research proposal shall be prepared in accordance with the standards of the academic discipline. The formal proposal must provide a clear and lucid description of a question or problem and a proposed method of answering the question or solving the problem. Proposal drafting is considered a learning process and helps the students avoid oversights and possible mistakes. The proposal should explain the question or problem to be investigated and convince the research paper professor and department that the question or problem merits investigation. It should show that the student has read the relevant and recent literature on the subject and it should contain a list of materials consulted during the preliminary stages of research. In general, the research proposal should include background information related to the research topic, purpose of the research, and investigatory procedures to be used. The formal proposal should not exceed ten (10) pages (proposal title page not included). ——————————————————————————————————————— Sample of a Research Proposal (see next page) ——————————————————————————————————————— (Sample title page)
The Title of Your Essay Here (One-quarter page down from top) Your Name Here
(At the half-page mark)
Subject Name Here Instructor’s Name Here Date Here
(All double-spaced)
Purpose Statement
This is the most important statement in the proposal. It orients the reader
to the central intent of the study and from it all other aspects of the research project follow. While there are a number of differing formats for purpose statements, in general the statement should present the central controlling idea in the study, focus on the central phenomenon under study, show how knowledge will be created or learning will take place (optional for the research paper), provide a general working definition of the central phenomenon if not widely known, denote the strategy of inquiry to be used, and identify the location(s) for the research.
Statement of the Problem
Based on the type of study to be conducted, present here a clear statement
of the problem to be investigated or the specific research question(s) which will be addressed in the study.
Hypotheses (if applicable)
List the hypotheses to be tested in your study (usually between 3 and 4). Hypothesis format: “If….., then…..”
Identify dependent and independent variables.
Research Question(s)
State questions that will drive your research in something other than a “yes-no” format so as to facilitate analysis.
Theoretical Framework
Provide a summary of the theory or theories which will be used in the
study (if any). Provide a short narrative which includes each theory’s major assumptions and the major theoretical propositions which will come to play in your study.
Significance of the Study
Delineate the significance of the thesis, e.g., what knowledge will it create, what gaps in our knowledge will it help fill, how the results may be applied to improve existing policy or procedures, etc.
Research Design and Methodology
Summarize (as appropriate for your study) research design issues, to include: definitions or operationalization of key variables, identification of study population, sampling procedures to be employed, justification of case studies selected, and data collection methods planned or secondary data to be utilized.
Summarize (as appropriate for your study) the analytic methods to be employed, including software packages to be employed, modeling procedures to be used, or statistical or other analysis procedures to be used for individual hypothesis tests.
Annotated Bibliography
List all references cited in the proposal and any major works in the field consulted
in preparing the proposal. The sources should be current (published within the last five years), in alphabetical order by author’s last name, be balanced between primary and secondary sources (those with their own bibliographies), and have an annotation that also indicates how you will use this source in your thesis paper.
EXAMPLE:
AMERICAN MILITARY UNIVERSITY
Politics and Foreign Aid
The Effects of Political Parties on Foreign Aid
A PAPER IN PROGRESS FOR RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
BY 2012
Purpose Statement:
The purpose of my research is to explore the relationship between Foreign aid distribution and political parties in the United States. A significant variable in my research will be historical events and how they relate to U.S. foreign policy. A mixed methods approach will be utilized to gather quantitative data and historical public opinions.
The majority political party in congress is not the determining factor for the amount of foreign aid distributed by the U.S. government from the end of the Second World War to the present. The amount of foreign aid distributed by the U.S. is determined by the global political and economic climate as it relates to U.S. interests. The political majority in congress passes bills and treaties relating to foreign aid based on national security not political affiliation.
Hypothesis:
Research Questions:
The research for this question will be simple to conduct. There is significant quantitative data on the federal budget website.
2. What political party has held the majority of congressional seats each term since the end of the Second World War?
This quantitative data will be simple to conduct because it is easily collected from the Senate and House websites.
3. What were the major historical events that took place since the Second World War?
This variable became notably important as I conducted my initial research for the project. The U.S. does not operate in an isolationist bubble and thus, global events between international powers contribute significantly to the way we conduct business with the rest of the world. I believe there will be some connection between historical events and aid distribution.
4. What was the political opinion of the American people during the time of significant historical events?
The people of our country elect its leaders. Politicians must carefully consider how
1. How much aid is distributed by the United States each year?
they vote on foreign policies because they must keep their constituents favor to be reelected. I will need to find qualitative data showing the public’s opinion of its elected leaders, the economy and feeling’s on U.S. involvement in international affairs. In theory, if the public wants to save money or does not support our government distributing aid to a particular country, their votes in relation to the political majority will reflect their attitude.
The fiscal strength of our country will have a relationship with the amount of aid distributed. There will be quantitative data showing the percentage of our budget spent on aid since the end of the Second World War. The data will need to be closely examined during times of recessions and economic growth. Our economic strength will also have some relationship pertaining to the historical events of the global climate at the time. It will also affect the opinion of the American people.
5. What was the state of the U.S. Economy during each year?
The study of foreign aid is relevant because it shapes global dynamics of political relationships between state actors. It is crucial in today’s volatile balance of power among highly influential global actors. There are several key factors that play a role in the foreign aid distribution policies of the United States. First, and most important, is the condition of the U.S. economy. A weak economy prohibits the government from distributing aid because the country simply cannot afford it. The economy is the key to the following two factors. Second, is the global political environment as it relates to U.S. interests. The U.S. government must distribute aid to further its self-interests, including humanitarian assistance. Third, and finally, is public opinion of the U.S. citizens as it relates to the use of funds to further U.S. goals and the effectiveness of the aid distributed. During weak economic times, public opinion may call for less foreign aid distribution and more money invested domestically to improved economic conditions in the country. Foreign aid is important because the U.S. currently has a weak economy while engaged in a costly war with public opinion calling for more domestic investment by the federal government. Foreign aid has been distributed since the end of the Second World War for many reasons. There are some common themes to the distribution process and amounts distributed. The overarching theme is that the U.S. government distributes aid on the basis of self-interest. Whether that interest is economic,
Significance of the Study:

military or purely to foster international relationships the reasons can usually be traced to the opinions and attitudes of our leaders, towards the international climate.
There are three variables that need to be studied to validate the data collected. The first variable is the condition of the U.S. economy during the time period being studied. The economy will have a direct affect on public voter opinions. This will, in turn, affect politician’s policies. The data will be quantitative and can be gathered on the federal budget website. The second variable to be studied is public opinion during the time period. This variable is qualitative in nature and will be difficult to gather because extensive research will need to be conducted to get an accurate assessment of public opinion. It will be important to present all opinions so the data is not skewed. The third variable to be conducted is the major world events taking place during the time period. This includes wars and humanitarian assistance initiatives, both of which, factor into the National Security Strategy. The third variable encompasses both qualitative and quantitative data and will require research to be conducted on the federal budget website as well as news articles explaining U.S. foreign policy.
The quantitative data pertaining to political majorities and foreign aid is conceptual in nature. It does not require in depth analysis because the data is simplistic. It can be easily found on the Senate and House websites. The variables discussed in the research design and methodology section require in depth rational analysis due to their qualitative nature. (Palmquist 2012). I will have to research articles in magazines and newspapers as well as academic journals and periodicals to get a true representation of public attitudes. The results of the data will be cross- referenced with the quantitative data of political parties and foreign aid. Articles gauging public opinion and attitudes towards foreign affairs coupled with quantitative data of economic strength will also be factored into the data analysis. Finally, major world events including the Korean War, Vietnam War and Cold War, as well as the fall of the Soviet Union and Desert Storm must be studied to understand their correlation with the U.S. economy, public opinion and amount of foreign aid distributed.
Research Design and Methodology:
Data Analysis:

Annotated Bibliography:
Chabot, Steve. “Committee on Foreign Affairs.” http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearings.asp. May 9, 2012. http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/112/HHRG-112-FA13-MState-C000266- 20120509.pdf (accessed May 13, 2012).
The question the Honorable Steve Chabot presents is the Middle East purposed FY 2013. He uses a mixed methods approach to explore the issue. He discusses the qualitative arguments of NGO issues in Egypt as well as quantitative value of money spent in the region in the past year. His conclusion is the committee take a closer look at the issues in the region before coming to a conclusion on the amount of foreign aid to be distributed.
“Congressional Budget Office.”
http://www.cbo.gov/search/apachesolr_search/foreign%20aid?filters=tid%3 A143&keys=foreign%20aid&op=search. May 1997. http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/ftpdocs/0xx/doc8/foraid. pdf (accessed May 13, 2012).
The Congressional Budget Office released a study of foreign aid distributed between 1962 through 1997. There are both qualitative and quantitative research methods used in the document. The conclusions drawn from the paper highlight the effectiveness of foreign aid. The article also discusses amount the government is investing in foreign aid during the years of the cold war.
Cox, Daniel G, and Diane L. Duffin. “Cold War, Public Opinion, and Foreign Policy Spending Decisions: Dynamic Representation by Congress and the President.” Congress and the Presidency , 2008: 29-51.
Public opinion has not had the ability to shape and mold foreign aid issues from the Vietnam War to the present. In their article on public opinion, Cox and Duffin, comment on the effect of the waning years of the cold war and the relation between spending. They explored how public opinion affected foreign aid following the Negative Consensus years (1925-1975). They argued as the political system became less bipolar the attitude towards foreign aid shifted. Without the fear of communism spreading, the public believed more money should be invested in domestic issues. They then explored how political parties were reelected and how that related to foreign aid. Their data showed there was little effect on the amount of foreign aid due to public opinion. The U.S. government distributed foreign aid under the guise of preventative diplomacy. (Cox and Duffin 2008, 29-51)
Feltman, Jeffery D. “Committee on Foreign Affairs.” http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearings.asp. May 9, 2012.
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/112/HHRG-112-FA13-Wstate-FeltmanJ- 050912.pdf (accessed May 13, 2012).
Jeffery D. Feltman discusses how foreign aid should be distributed to countries in the Middle East during FY13. He uses mixed methods of research; qualitative research on the attitudes of countries that we support with aid and quantitative research discussing the monetary value he believes should be distributed. He has many conclusions and suggestions relating to a wide array of countries including; Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia and others. Some conclusions he draws suggest we should provide more aid and others show ways we can cut spending.
Foreign Assistance. May 13, 2012. http://www.foreignassistance.gov/Default.aspx (accessed May 13, 2012).
There is no specific explanation associated with this resource (ForeignAssistance.gov). I will use a quantitative research method for this resource. I will have data to aid me in my search of foreign aid distributed from the beginning of the cold war to the present.
Gulrajani, Nilima. “Transending the Great Foreign Aid Debate: managerialism, radicalism and the search for aid effectiveness.” Third World Quarterly, 2011: 199-216.
There is much debate about the use of foreign aid. Nilima Gulrajani outlines different views and ways to improve them. He discusses two forms of perspectives. The first is the radical perspective that combines Neo- Liberalism and Neo-Marxism. The radical theory seeks to completely denounce aid because it fails to achieve its goals and is solely used as an object of oppression. The second view is the reformist view that includes Managerialism, which suggests foreign aid is a useful tool that needs to improve the efficiency of administrative systems. His conclusion is to combine these ideas into a radical reformist theory. Radical reformist theory seeks to do away with fixed goals and singular prescriptions to embrace giving as an act of political construction rather than planned social engineering. (Gulrajani 2011, 199-216).
Hyman, Gerald F. “The Step by Step Erosion of USAID Structure and Process.”
Foreign Policy and Development: Structure, Process, Policy & the Drip-by-Drip Erosion of USAID, 2010: 7-30.
Gerald Hyman’s article explored how the last four presidential administrations viewed and used USAID. In the article Hyman shows how the end of the cold war and 9/11 reshaped the amount of foreign aid that was distributed. Following these events, both Presidents (H.W. Bush and W Bush), who had previously not been interested in distributing a great amount of aid began aggressively using it. An example used in the article is the Support for East
European Democracy (SEED) plan that was implemented after the Berlin Wall fell. Hyman also outlines the initiatives President Obama uses today to further the “F process” developed to foster economic growth, invest in the people, govern justly and democratically, for peace and security and finally humanitarian assistance. The Global Health Initiative is another example used in the article. Under the GHI, the government is investing $63 billion over the next six years to eighty countries. Hyman’s article is applicable to the current foreign aid issues of the country today. (Hyman 2010, 7-30).
Miles, Renenah. “The State Department, USAID, and the Flawed Mandate for Stabilization and Reconstruction.” PRISM Security Studies Journal, 2011: 37- 46.
Renenah Miles makes strong arguments against USAID in his article. He contends the State Department cannot continue long-term diplomacy with Iraq without the presence of U.S. troops in the country. He also argues, due to the amount of bureaucratic rivalries and infighting, the state department is not operating efficiently. He goes deeper into his views by stating congress is skeptical and hostile towards the department of foreign affairs claiming the House Republican Study Committee proposed to defund USAID. He does not offer a real solution to the problem but firmly believes USAID should be scaled back and disassembled. (Miles 2011, 37-46).
Millikan, M.F., and W.W. Rostow. “Foreign Aid: Next Phase.” Foreign Affairs, 1958: 418-436.
Following the Korean War, the United States Government had to evaluate the areas of the world to focus its minimal foreign affairs budget. At the time, the budget was only one billion dollars and the authors of the article argued five hundred million should go to India. They believed the money should be used to “salvage crisis situations” when necessary but focus on non-communist Asian countries with the majority of the aid. They noted the soviets were aggressively sending aid to Afghanistan, Egypt and Syria. To counter this, the U.S. should invest in Asia to contradict the communist views. An interesting point in the article is the view of the Middle East. The authors, Millikan and Rostow, believed aid was not necessary to the Middle East, Central Africa and Mexico because they were rapidly becoming modernized. Today the second and third order effects of that view can be seen with the current issues in each of those areas of the world. (Millikan and Rostow 1958, 418-436).
” Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.” May 13, 2012. http://artandhistory.house.gov/house_history/partyDiv.aspx (accessed May 13, 2012).
The House of Representatives website is complied of purely quantitative data regarding control of the House of Representatives by party from its beginning in 1789.
Palmquist, Mike. Content Analysis. http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/WritingCenter/references/research/conte nt/page2.htm (accessed June 13, 2012).
MY SPECIFIC TOPIC INFORMATION: (MUST USE THIS / EDIT TO MAKE SENSE)
THESIS: My Thesis: Overturning the Supreme Courts ruling on Citizens United Case and enacting legislation that bans Super Political Action Committees will allow congressional candidates to be more accountable to their constituents and less to their donors.
Purpose Statement: The purpose of this study is to determine if by banning Super Political Action Committees it would reduce the influence money has on congressional candidates running for office and congresspersons responsibilities to their constituents once elected.
Research Questions:
Does a congressional candidate who has the largest monetary war chest or Super Political Action Committee endorsing him/her get elected?
Justification: This speaks to whether or not money has an actual influence over voters electing a specific candidate. If there is no distinction, then questions two and three become even more important.
Do Super Political Action Committees have an actual influence over congressional candidate campaign positions based on campaign donations?
Justification: Candidates I believe should be based on their principals and morals, not that of donors. So does the source of campaign donations (SUPER PACs) influence candidates positions during a campaign?
Once elected, have congresspersons sided with their biggest campaign donors (Super Political Action Committees) priorities and voted against district polling on a particular issue? If true, have constituents voted official out of office?
Justification: This solidifies the heart of the question of influence. If the influence of money changes the positions of an elected official, do constituents care enough? If not, then SUPER PACs DO influence elections and thus make elected congresspersons less accountable to their constituents.
Everything else can be filled in.
HERE ARE MY RESOURCES:
Chapman, Roger, ”Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)”. 2013. In Culture Wars in America: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices, Routledge. http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/content/entry/sharpecw/citizens_united_v_federal_election_commission_2010/0
Dharmapala, Dhammika, and Filip Palda. 2002. Are campaign contributions a form of speech?: Evidence from recent US house elections. Public Choice 112, (1/2): 81-114
Dawood, Yasmin, Campaign Finance and American Democracy (October 1, 2014). Annual Review of Political Science (2015 Forthcoming). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2528587
Hasen, Richard L., Why Isn’t Congress More Corrupt? A Preliminary Inquiry (May 13, 2015). Fordham Law Review, 2015, Forthcoming; UC Irvine School of Law Research Paper No. 2015-30. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2585260
Levitt, Steven, Using Repeat Challengers to Estimate the Effect of Campaign Spending on Election Outcomes in the U.S. House, Chicago: The Journal of Political Economy University of Chicago, 1994
Meese, Alan J. and Oman, Nathan B., Hobby Lobby, Corporate Law, and the Theory of the Firm: Why For-Profit Corporations are RFRA Persons (May 20, 2014). Harvard Law Review Forum, Vol. 127, p. 273, 2014; William & Mary Law School Research Paper No. 09-279. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2440874
National Survey: Super PACs, Corruption, and Democracy. Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, 2012.
Rezin, Ashlee. Heads Of Super PACs Discuss Their Influence On Elections. March 1, 2013. Accessed May 15, 2015. Available at http://progressillinois.com/posts/content/2013/03/01/how-important-are-super-pacs.
“The Money Behind the Elections.” Money Behind Elections. Accessed May 10, 2015. https://www.opensecrets.org/bigpicture/.
Youn, Monica, ed. Money, Politics, and the Constitution: Beyond Citizens United. Century Foundation New York, 2011.
MY BACKGROUND:
In January 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a decision in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that removed all limits on the amount of money corporations, unions and individuals can spend to promote its favored or least favored candidates. The decision has since been at the the center of a national debate focused on campaign finance reform. Prior to the verdict, individuals and any corporate entity could spend freely towards only on general information communications, such as noting how a candidate had voted on a controversial bill (Chapman 2013, 2). Dollar figures can help explain the landscape better where as in 2000, which was a presidential election cycle, $1.67 billion dollars was spent on the national congressional races and $1.41 billion dollars on the presidential race compared to 2012 where $3.66 billion dollars (155% increase) and $2.62 billion dollars (147% increase) were spent respectively (Money Behind Elections, 2), increases directly related to the Supreme Court ruling. Legally Super Political Action Committees (PACs) cannot work directly with campaigns and it would be hard to measure if one Super PAC had influence over a specific vote. What Super PACs can do is spend freely so that their candidate of choice is elected, influencing the balance of power in the U.S. Congress, thus enabling an environment in which the candidate they endorsed can enact laws and set guidelines that are set in a specific party platform. A platform influenced by PACs. Research from a April 2012 poll conducted by the independent Opinion Research Corporation found that nearly 70 percent of Americans believe Super PAC spending will lead to corruption and that three in four Americans believe limiting how much corporations, unions, and individuals can donate to Super PACs would curb corruption. In addition more than 80 percent believe that, compared with past elections, the money being spent by political groups is more likely to lead to corruption. And, most alarmingly, the poll revealed that concerns about the influence Super PACs have over elected officials undermine Americans’ faith in democracy: one in four respondents reported that they are less likely to vote because big donors to Super PACs have so much more sway than average American voters (National Survey 2012, 12). To help reaffirm elected officials and candidates dedication to its constituents and not their donors, the Citizens United ruling should be over turned and a return of 2010 campaign finance rules should be enacted.
I am going to research the effect of Citizens United ruling has on the influence of money in politics. The spending on national elections has doubled since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Super PACs could spend freely on promoting a particular candidate or opponent. I believe this is important because the courts define it as a way to use free speech, declaring that a corporation should be given the same rights as a person. I have found myself inundated with articles, journals and polls the last 72 hours and have dug deep to learn how this is not the first instance of ruling a corporation as a person, ‘Hobby Lobby’ ruling is another (Meese 2014, 273). I want to learn more about how, if at all, Super PACs have effected the outcomes of elections nationwide. I want to find the numbers on if members of congress have been largely funded by specific PACs with goals, and then the member voted against its largest funding source during the campaign cycle. These numbers will take some time and a good amount of research for analysis as I go forward.
