Econometrics- Wiretapping

Essay by keithmellottUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, October 2014

download word file, 12 pages 0.0

Keith Mellott

Econometrics

Final Project Rough Draft

Hypothesis and Rationale

My hypothesis I have been testing throughout the duration of this project is that an increase in one's income causes one to be more likely to approve of wiretapping in general. I chose this hypothesis because I have a suspicion that as people earn more money and secure a more comfortable position in society, they feel as if they are the finished product of the well-functioning system that is our country. I imagine that wealthy people, having achieved success, will feel more positively about the economic, political, and social environment in America. I think that law enforcement is one aspect of our government that wealthy people would tend to be more approving of. Also, I have a suspicion that as one becomes wealthier, the new social networks they become a part of could consist of people who are connected to politicians and lawmakers.

They would therefore be more inclined to approve of governmental activities.

When initially formulating my hypothesis, I read Public Opinion Trends: Privacy and Information Technology, by James E. Katz and Annette R. Tassone. In their research, they indicate that privacy in general is an issue that Americans are very concerned about, with 2 out of every 3 respondents rating privacy as very important in relation to "other subjects on their mind". The authors then asked if respondents thought that there would be less privacy in American in the future. The question was asked for over a decade and the majority response was yes in every year. There seems to be a sentiment that is starting to be felt by a lot of Americans. People are worried that, as technology continues to advance, the government's capability to "eavesdrop" on our lives will be increased. I hoped to...