Enjoying the December sun & wide open space near Fort Davis, TX.

I need your help!

My name is Melissa Shannon, and I’m a graduate student at the London School of Economics studying research methodology (I’m basically learning the practical approach to statistics). I worked at the Texas Legislature during the 82nd Session, and got a bird’s eye view of how your grass roots movement was able to influence policy at the Capitol. Now I will be writing my thesis on the rise of Tea Party movement in Texas and the political power you have earned through your mobilization efforts.

To accomplish this I need data! Specifically, I am asking Texas residents who would identify themselves as Conservatives to take part in a brief online survey (5-10 minutes). My aim is to get a sense of what your views are on important issues facing Texas, gauge your level of political participation, and create a picture of what you look like across a state as large as ours!

Why study the Tea Party movement in Texas?

As a native Texan, I get a lot of questions about our state’s politics, and about the Tea Party in particular. However, I don’t think that I have enough insight into your movement to give a fair answer. Actually, as it turns out nobody does! This is because there haven’t really been any rigorous academic studies to get a sense of what this movement is about and what exactly you stand for. This is the inspiration behind this research project, and I hope that you’ll take part.

What will I do with your responses?

The type of research that I am learning to conduct requires a large data set of individual responses. My survey does not contain any questions that would allow me to identify who you are, but I think it’s important to spell out that I aim to protect your privacy and anonymity as I move forward with my study.

The London School of Economics also takes this matter very seriously, and I have met with my academic supervisors to discuss our ethics policy to ensure that I fully understand my responsibilities as a researcher. If you would like more details on the specifics you can find out more by visiting the LSE Research Ethics Policy & Guidance website.