Learning with the Center for the Study of Local Issues: Introductory Meeting Dan Nataf, PhD, Director Center for the Study of Local Issues Careers 132 Anne Arundel Community College 101 College Parkway Arnold, MD Agenda: I.Review Mission/History of CSLI II.Understanding surveys III.Your role IV.Review previous findings V.Questionnaire VI.Next steps

CSLI History and Mission Historical Background: In business since 1978! 1. Creation and operation as part of Division of Social Sciences: – a community college ‘research center’ 2.Operation as part of Sarbanes Center for Public and Community Service 2006-present Advisory Board: 20 +/- community activists, elected officials, government administrators, students, faculty Provides guidance and link to the community both within and outside the campus Staff: Director, Program Specialist, Student Interns

CSLI History and Mission 1. Provide students opportunities to better understand applied social science research methods while encouraging civic awareness and engagement 2.Serve community and local government by offering research services and communicating survey findings 3.Provide opportunities for faculty professional development 4.Help AACC understand its environment through relevant data collection and analysis CSLI Mission – four elements

Mission: Provide students opportunities to better understand applied social science research methods while encouraging civic awareness and engagement Activities providing student opportunities: Participation in community surveys Participation in client based research projects Student internships CSLI student club CSLI History and Mission

Semi-annual Survey The survey process at a glance… 1.Conducted in March and October 2.Telephone interviews – (record 917) completions 3.Press releases 4.Public presentations 5.Media outreach 6.Web site ( CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

Service Learning and Nataf’s Classes Semi-annual survey – how students participate for service learning credit (and Nataf’s extra credit) Up to five contacts with CSLI Introductory meeting 2-3+ nights of telephone interviews Final meeting – review of survey process, findings, SPSS/hypotheses testing Short paper (varies by instructor) CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

Semi-annual Surveys - Why is your role so important? How do surveys work? 1.Identify a population whose characteristics and attitudes are interesting to us 2.Our population – Residents of Anne Arundel County at least 18 years of age 3.Our goal – Ask a small group (the “sample”) questions 4.Generalize the findings to the whole population (the “universe”) CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

How do surveys work? (continued) Find a proper sample size: costs vs. margins of error – Example: Population of 100k+, confidence interval 95% ErrorSample Size CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey Semi-annual Surveys - Why is your role so important?

Choices: 1. Face to face – personal interviews =>2. Telephone – personal interviews 3. Self-administered - by mail, exit poll, group setting 4. Online – a version of ‘self administered’ How do surveys work? (Data collection methods) CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

How do surveys work? ( Data collection continued) How do we choose who shall participate in survey? Two choices: (1) Randomly select from listed phone numbers (2) Use computer generated “likely unlisted residential numbers within your target jurisdiction” (3) Add in some cell phone numbers (current option) CSLI’s lists of numbers are a 60/40 landline/cell percent mix We start with over phone numbers! CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

How do surveys work? ( Survey assumptions) What are we assuming in using telephone numbers? That everyone in our target universe is equally likely to have a phone and willing/able to answer a survey Could other methods be used to ensure more complete representation? Ideally, yes! But the other data collection methods are harder to implement and/or more expensive… CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

How do surveys work? (Sources of error) What are other data collection challenges? * Interviewer bias * Social desirability (“Halo effect”) * Unclear questions * Non-attitudes * Non-response bias (both overall and to items) * Unequal representation of subgroups None of these is necessarily a fatal flaw, but should make us sensitive that there are more sources of error than just the statistical ‘margin of error’ CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

How do surveys work? (Getting to the finish line!) What happens to all the completed surveys? 1.Data entry. This means we need to enter all the answers into a database for statistical processing. 2.Statistical analysis. 3.Write a report. 4.Send it out as a “press release.” 5.Post it on the Web. 6.Use it in public presentations. CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

Semi-annual Surveys: Recent Major Topics Semi-annual survey – topics over the last few years Major issues facing the county Economic conditions and concerns in the county Cost of higher education County schools County infrastructure needs Death Penalty Presidential job approval Gun control Lots of demographic info: age, income, employment situation, race, religion, gender, party, ideology CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

Presidential Job approval Fall 2007 to Fall 2015 Obama Bush

County: Right or Wrong Direction? Fall ‘00 to Fall ‘14

Most Important Problem: Fall 2007 to Fall 2014

Economic Conditions: (% excellent+good) County vs. Maryland and USA

Is there a relationship between income and economic conditions? (Fall, 2014) ConditionUnder $75,000$75,000+ Taxes are too high in relation to the government services provided 7972 Wages or salaries are not rising as fast as the cost of living 7255 Hard to afford the cost of education 4740 Health care insurance is unavailable, too expensive or inadequate 4629 Hard to afford cost of food and groceries 4522 Received a salary increase or other increase in income recently 2344 Facing the possibility of unemployment 2213 Found a new or better job recently 1014

Major Issues: Support/Oppose IssueSupportOpposeUnsureNA/Won’t say Increased availability of pre-kindergarten schooling for low income families Reducing the estate tax in Maryland so that it only applies to estates over $5 million The construction of a new high school in the Crofton area An increase in the state minimum wage to $10.10 by Having a later start time for students in high school Changing gun control laws to make the purchase of shotguns as strictly regulated as the purchase of handguns Leaving unchanged the county’s storm-water fee meant to help clean up the Bay A decrease in Maryland’s corporate income tax Legalization of marijuana for recreational use, with a high tax and restrictions against the sale to minors Table 7: State and County Proposals – Support, Oppose, Unsure

Minimum Wage – Party, Ideology and Race

Marijuana – Party, Ideology and Age

Govr’s Race: Vote/Expectations C hoices Percentage Vote for Brown22 Vote for Hogan51 Someone else2 Undecided24 Won’t vote for any candidate1 Won’t say, no answer1 ChoicesPercentage Anthony Brown53 Larry Hogan23 Unsure or no answer24 Voters’ Expectations about Victor

Job approval, Spring/Fall 2014 Individual/Office ApproveDisapproveNo answer Governor Martin O’Malley33/2755/6312/8 County Exec. Laura Neuman54/5011/1835/33 President Barack Obama39/3252/589/9

YesNoUnsure /N.A. Total President Obama’s state of the union speech? Governor O’Malley’s inaugural speech or his state of the state speech Watched County Council hearings being broadcast on local cable stations anytime over the last year? Watched, listened or read about …(F ‘12)

Earthquake - communication: Method, Success (Fall 2011) Method% Saying usedSuccessfulNot successful Other/No answer CountyStudents Mobile phone Text message Land line telephone Social media

The Spring 2015 Semi-annual Survey See Word document CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

Next Steps 1.Make sure you know which evenings you are spending with us 2.First night – come at 5:30 p.m. training in telephone interviewing methods and questionnaire marking 3.Last two nights – no need for more training, come at 6:00 p.m. 4.Final meeting – in three weeks 5.If necessary, don’t forget to turn in your short paper See you next week! CSLI: Your Next Steps