Political Research and Statistics 8/26/2013

Readings Bring your cd's and a flash drive to class on Thursday Pollack Textbook – Introduction – Ch: 10 Thinking Empirically, Thinking Probabilistically – Ch: 1 The Measurement of Concepts (6-13)

OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS COURSE CONTENT

Office Hours The University Requires faculty hold 5 hours a week I hold 14 hours a week

Office Hours When – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – Tuesday and Thursday 8-12 – And by appointment Where – Doyle 226B Phone –

ABOUT THE CLASS

What’s New for 2013 Four Exams instead of three – Less high-stakes testing – Less information to study for each exam – Exams will be shorter in length That means we will have class today

Important things from the Syllabus Attendance Homework The Paper

Electronic Device Policy The use of cell phones, smart phones, or other mobile communication devices is disruptive, and is therefore prohibited during class. Except in emergencies, those using such devices must leave the classroom for the remainder of the class period.

About the Computers Use them for class, not for personal business If you can only use them for evil, turn them off.

The Textbooks The Textbook 4 th Edition (older editions are different) The Workbook 4 th Edition (older editions will not work)

We need to cover a lot of ground This is the only methods/stats class for POLS and ENSP It counts for your computer class Math is not hard, if it was you wouldn’t be in college

Asking Questions Don’t Be afraid Assume someone else has the same question Don’t ask your friends Come to office hours

Course overview In this class we cover the essential statistics used in the social sciences The goal of this course is to prepare you for a career in the social sciences or a related field. The class begins with research design and culminates with multivariate regression.

Course Overview Methodological proficiency is ascertained in three ways – computer competency assignments – statistical computation and interpretation homework – in-class examinations. The Class culminates with a semester length research paper in which you formulate and empirically test a hypothesis using the appropriate methodology.

CLEARLY STATED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Course Learning Objectives 1.Students will learn the research methods commonly used in behavioral sciences and will be able to interpret and explain empirical data. 2.Second, as this course fulfills the Computational Skills portion of the University degree plan, students will achieve competency in conducting statistical data analysis using the SPSS software program.

Course Learning Objectives 3.Students will learn the basics of polling and be able to analyze and explain polling and survey data. 4.Students will learn the basics of research design and be able to critically analyze the advantages and disadvantages of different types of design. 5.Students will be able to use the statistical tools learned in class to test a political research hypothesis and present these results in a research paper.

THINKING ANALYTICALLY IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

We focus on empirical research actual objective observation of political and social phenomena. Things that can actually be measured

The Opposite of Empirical is Normative judgments about what should be. The answers depends on who is answering the question. Normative statements are unscientific.

THINKING SCIENTIFICALLY

What is a Social Science The application of empirical research in which the researcher adheres to certain well- defined principles for collecting, analyzing and evaluating political information Examples – Psychology – Sociology – Economics – Political Science – Public Policy

What is Science? It has to do with the way questions are formulated “Political Research” And Tests these through a set of rules and forms “and statistics”

The Goal is Scientific Knowledge Study society scientifically and empirically Develop answers to questions about society

MAKING KNOWLEDGE SCIENTIFIC

Objective We Look at things without bias

Balanced Good research examines the question from more than one point of view or one variable

Evidence Good Research is Supported by Evidence The 50 million uninsured Americans for example

Scientific Knowledge is Non-Normative Based on What We Think The pepsi challenge

Subject to Empirical Verification Nixon-Kennedy Debate Top Party Schools or is it? Top Party Schools it? If you can’t measure/prove it, it isn’t scientific knowledge

Put out the Long Form Sooner

Generalizable Applies to more than one case Covers a wide range of phenomenon They wouldn’t announce them if they didn’t happen… happen

Scientific Laws in the social sciences Why so few? Unit of analysis What we study

GOOD AND BAD RESEARCH In the Social sciences

Good Social Science Research Pertains to the discipline Significant Simple

Bad Social Science research Not-germane to the discipline Normative Based on discrete facts Who won the 2012 Election?

CONCEPTS The First Steps in Measurement

What are Concepts? Concepts are the words we use to describe political, social and environmental behaviors They name and describe the external world

The Conceptual Definition This is the conceptual definition takes abstract things and make them real. States the concept in unambiguous terms Must communicate – The variation within a concept – The subject to which the concept applies

Types of Concepts Socio-economic Attitudinal Behavioral Environmental

The Operational Definition Turning your concept into something that can be measured Must be precise and accurate This can be very difficult

What Does Sustainability mean to you?

The Operational Concept of Organic

The Concept of Poverty Absolute Depravation The Federal Government sets the poverty guidelines This is then used to determine eligibility for benefits Relative Depravation

Definitions must match

When Concepts and Operations do not match

The Old Catholic= Pro-Life