Worldwide we are experiencing the rise of fundamental groups who fear their traditional way of life is disappearing. To guard against this they are employing violence, both verbal and action based, as a means to counter the perceived threat. They seem to be aligning themselves with traditional authoritarian principles. In the United States, since the 9/11 attack, we have seen a growing identification with authoritarian principles. This is currently most evident in the presidential election candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Their answers to pressing social, economic and globalization demands are often diametrically opposing views on what should be done. This study proposes to look at the voting group of 18-25 years old freshmen college students at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. The students are an ethnically diverse group, and the participants will be from my five fall semester writing classes: approximately 100 total students. This is out of a population of approximately 47,588 students. The average age for the classes is 21 whereas the average age of the general population is 27. The objectives of the study are to identify voting age students' as to their understanding of authoritarianism and to determine how strongly they identify with the principles of authoritarianism. The first written document asked them for a definition of authoritarianism. While the word was one many of them had heard at some point, they could not recall specifically what the definition was. Some guesses coupled it with dictatorship or one class of people having power over another. No definitive definition was given to the participants, so that they would be free to form their own working definition as they read the materials used in the study. They were, however, given Feldman's four question measurement as a pretest. There was no follow up discussion after the test and they did not realize what it was for until later, when a six minute YouTube video titled "Authoritarianism: The political science that explains Trump", narrated by Amanda Taub, was shown. Discussion time was scheduled following the video presentation. Using Feldman's definitive measurement of authoritarianism as a pre-test, the students will be able to self-identify with the profile of authoritarians. Then using sections of Amanda Taub's article "The Rise of American Authoritarianism" (2016), we will do collaborative exploration on three of the major sections: I. "What is American authoritarianism?" VI. "Trump, authoritarians, and fear" and IX. "How authoritarians will change American politics?" We will post-test with Feldman's measurement and critique the results. Will studying and discussing the principles of these ideas change the thoughts, identification and perhaps voting behavior of this student population? This election is unique in American history, and certain trends such as immigration, Muslim influence, terrorist threats and crime play to the fears of the authoritarians are seen as disruptive and chaotic forces destroying the social order. Authoritarians are seeking a leader that is strong, punitive and offers simple solutions to complex problems. Exposing students to information about this ideology, and giving them space to explore ideas and questions, will help them decide their opinions regarding the candidates and their voting preferences. This is the role of education: exposure, exploration and engagement. It is a unique study with a unique population of predominately first time voters. The future of American politics rests largely in their hands and as an educated population their views and votes will determine our course into the future.
