Research Symposium

BIO

Eva Morris is a second-year student from Long Island, New York, pursuing a dual degree in Management Information Systems and Accounting. She plans to attend law school after graduation and hopes to practice business law, with a particular interest in the intersection of public policy, technology, and finance.

Analyzing Trends in U.S. Hate Crime Legislation

Abstract

The purpose of our research project is to conduct an analysis of hate crime legislation in
the United States from 1991 to the present, in order to formulate a comprehensive
database. The database constructed through this project will enable users to quickly
and efficiently access data pertaining to hate crime legislation and will allow hate crime
legislation to become more accessible to the general public. It is imperative that we, as
a society, have strong, well-enforced hate crime laws to promote justice and deter
discrimination, and therefore, this project is relevant. The methodology of this study is
coding utilizing Qualtrics form surveys and a categorical analysis of the provided laws
according to an outlined system of requirements for each law. The questions asked
included characteristics of each law, if the law was an aggravating factor or a
stand-alone law, specific vocabulary included in the laws, and other defining factors of
the laws. The results of our project was a comprehensive database that will be
potentially published and accessible to the public in order to foster a wider
understanding and increased awareness of characteristics of hate crime laws. Future
researchers can complement our data by creating a database that spans prior to 1991.
Additionally, the public can utilize our data when informing themselves on legislation,
voting, and policy improvements. Our research would also benefit from annual updates
as laws change and evolve in the future. The results of our study suggest
that hate crime legislation is extensive, detailed, and ever-changing.

Keywords: Hate Crime Legislation, Political Science, Criminology, Qualtrics