Dissertation Topics

I wanted to first comment that I'm glad to have found this podcast & forum. I thoroughly enjoy the podcasts, their structure and tone. I will be delving into the forums more and more over the upcoming months.

My primary interest in this post is to get some ideas, feedback, or general guidance concerning a potential dissertation topic. I am a PhD student, nearly one year away from starting my dissertation in earnest. My field of study is in Public Policy and Administration. In the interest of disclosure, I lump myself in with the atheist and secular humanist camps. My interests revolve around shortfalls in a representative-democratic system of government based on the chronic marginalization of fringe constituents, and the impact of belief structure (individual) and group affiliation (social) on the electability of a public official. My additional educational background is in the field of business administration.

This is too vague and broad an area for use as a dissertation topic. More importantly, though, I would like for my efforts to contribute meaningfully to an existing or developing research thread or theory. To that end, I am requesting feedback from those researchers, academicians, authors, etc. who might benefit from a specific tangent that might serve as my dissertation topic, albeit estimated for completion over the next few years. Please feel free to leave comments on my wordpress blog, concerning the same issues: http://www.chandlerz.wordpress.com. The material will evolve with time, hopefully with your input.

In advance, thank you for your contributions to this thread.

~chandler