In the contemporary American political landscape, the polarization between Trump supporters and non-supporters has raised concerns about shifts in democratic values and ideological consistency. This study investigates whether Trump supporters demonstrate attitudinal inconsistencies regarding American democratic ideals based on source attribution, particularly when these ideals are framed as statements made by Donald Trump. Drawing on theories of political psychology and cult-like devotion, we hypothesize that Trump supporters are more likely to endorse democratic principles when attributed to Trump, even if those same principles are rejected when attributed to other figures or presented neutrally. An experimental survey will be administered in which participants rate their agreement with statements representing core democratic ideals (e.g., civil liberties, checks and balances), each randomly attributed to Trump, another political figure, or no source. Preceding this, a preliminary survey will assess the perceived importance of each ideal to the participant, which will be used as a covariate to examine the interaction between issue salience and response consistency. Participants will also provide demographic data and report their political affiliations, with Trump support operationalized based on voting history. We expect to find greater inconsistencies among Trump supporters, particularly on issues they deem less important, indicating that source cues may override personal belief systems. This research contributes to the growing literature on political identity, leader-follower dynamics, and the psychological mechanisms underpinning "Trumpism," offering insight into the potential long-term implications for democratic stability in the United States.

Sexual and gender minority young adults (SGM-YAs, aged 18-25)have worse outcomes compared to peers. Emerging evidence suggests that the current political climate has exacerbated these pre-existing disparities by cultivating unprecedented conditions and great concern among SGM-YAs. These socio-political factors may greatly impact the degree to which SGM-YAs plan, work, and aspire towards their future goals, also known as future orientation (FO). FO is associated with several positive young adult development outcomes including higher academic performance, lower impulsivity, and lower suicidal ideation. Despite the prominent role FO plays in the development of young adults, few studies have been dedicated to examining how the political climate within which youth exist influences their FO. Even fewer studies have examined FO among SGM-YAs, representing a critical research gap. To begin addressing this gap, we are currently conducting a qualitative interview study with the aim of understanding how the current socio-political climate influences FO among SGM-YAs. We are currently conducting semi-structured qualitative interviews with a diverse sample of SGM-YAs (n=40: 10 Black, 10 Latinx, 10 White, & 10 Asian). Each transcript will be coded utilizing a descriptive, phenomenological approach. Preliminary evidence suggests participants feel hopelessness about the current state of the country and find it difficult to conceptualize a future wherein their marginalized identities are positively acknowledged and not seen as an innate deficit. While preliminary evidence suggests that the current socio-political climate has evidenced only negative outcomes related to our participants’ FO, results are still pending.

In this research, I will examine the connections between identity constructs, political views, and voting behavior among different groups of Muslim Americans. The study of identity pursued here is tied to concepts of selfhood or positionality, as connected to the field of politics. Muslim Americans are often perceived as a monolithic group despite their ethnic, racial, national, gendered, cultural, and ideological/political heterogeneity. The purpose of this study is to explore the importance of understanding the complex, multilayered and heterogeneous nature of Muslim American identities. I will explore this issue by asking, what are the dimensions around which Muslim respondents construct their primary senses of selfhood in the context of U.S. domestic politics? Relevant dimensions of identity construction may include religion, political identity (Liberal/Democrat vs. Conservative/Republican), immigration status (being a first, second, or third generation), U.S. race constructs (the Black/White binary paradigm), gender, or other factors. For this study, I will be working with a subset of Muslim respondents drawn from a larger study on the 2024 election and social issues conducted by PI Professor Enid Logan of the University of Minnesota's Department of Sociology. Respondents will be given a 60-90 minute qualitative interview soliciting their views on social and political issues relevant to the recent election. I will then analyze these in-depth interviews to answer my research question. Results are pending.

Decades of research have studied the demographic breakdown of voters across the United States. Because of this, college students have been examined in various studies of demographic breakdown. Yet, these studies never focus on specific colleges, but rather on a coalition of college students to create generalizations. When examining the institution, Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, there is a limited amount of data linking demographic background to the student body's political ideology. The rise of social media in engaging younger people politically is largely underexplored and essentially uncharted territory. It begs the question: How do the demographic characteristics of SMU students influence their voting behavior and policy priorities, and what role does social media play in shaping their beliefs? To gather the necessary data, a survey, with some open-ended questions following a mixed methods approach, will be administered to the student population. Given the originality of the survey, I am actively collecting data from students. The results could reveal the intersectionality of a person’s personal beliefs that is amplified by their various environments, including social media. The data may also reveal that social media may serve as the main reason for political engagement in its entirety.