Political Science 5 Lecture 9, 2242004

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Political Science 5Lecture 9, 2/24/2004
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Lots of Announcements

• Solution set to Homework 1 available on the
  website and in the envelope on my office door
  (worksheets).
• Solution set to Homework 2 will be available on
  Thursday evening.
• Review on Thursday come with questions. Also,
  review game.
• Extra office hours on Thursday afternoon starting
  at noon.

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Lots of Announcements

• Homework 1 is handed back today.
• Grading 5 total points
• Part I 4 for less than 5 mistakes (extra
  credit) 3 for 6-10 mistakes 2 for 11-19
  mistakes 1 for 20-29 mistakes 0 for 30 mistakes
  or more.
• Part II 1 point maximum.
• Part III one point maximum

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Lots of Announcements

• Midterm 1 on Tuesday. Should not take whole
  class time. Need 2 pencil(s).
• Study Guide for Midterm is posted on the webpage.
  Please read it over for Thursday.
• Midterm is worth 10 of your final grade. There
  will be one more midterm on 13 April.

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Lots of Announcements

• For next homework
• You will need printouts for some of the
  questions.
• New rule groups can hand in just one homework.
  But be careful--the whole group is penalized for
  any mistakes.
• Please use folders.
• If you are not understanding the material, GET
  HELP! Come to office hours, get another methods
  textbook, raise your hand in class, whatever it
  takes. Keep up with the material. Once again
  the study style that allowed you to succeed in
  other political science classes WILL NOT WORK in
  this one.

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Some Issues from Homework 1

• Chapter 2, page 36 different operational
  definitions for the concept support for
  abortion
• ABORT DEF variable (78.7 say yes if there is a
  defect). What would you conclude about the
  extent to which Americans favor or oppose
  abortion?
• A majority of the population supports abortion.
• Why is this the answer? Because you are using
  the responses to this question (I.e. this
  operational definition) as an indicator of
  support for abortion in the United States.

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Some Issues from Homework 1

• Chapter 2, page 36 different operational
  definitions for the concept support for
  abortion
• ABORT POOR variable (42.6 say yes if poor).
  What would you conclude about the extent to which
  Americans favor or oppose abortion?
• A majority of the population opposes abortion.
• Why is this the answer? Because you are using
  the responses to this question (I.e. this
  operational definition) as an indicator of
  support for abortion in the United States.

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Some Issues from Homework 1

• Chapter 3, page 57 FERTILITY variable--what kind
  of data is this?
• Public Records--why?
• Chapter 3, page 58 TRUST variable-- What level
  of measurement?
• Ratio
• Any number possible
• Chapter 3, page 58 What is the case (unit of
  analysis) for the HOUSE data file
• A US Representative (Congresswoman of
  Congressman)

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Some Issues from Homework 1

• Chapter 3, page 59 ABORT CONS variable--what
  level of measurement?
• Ordinal
• 0 is an arbitrary number to indicate lack of
  support for anti-abortion laws
• Chapter 3, page 59 DIST HIS (percent of
  hispanics) What level of measurement?
• Ordinal
• 1) 50 2) 10-49.9 3) 3-9.9 4) Under 3
• Chapter 3, page 60-61 POLITKNOW variable--what
  LOM?
• Ration--number of correct identifications
• Chapter 3, page 61 What if we collapse POLITKNOW
  variable into categories?
• ordinal

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Some Issues from Homework 1

• Chapter 3, page 62 (last page)
• RACE nominal
• FAM INCOME ordinal (categories)
• ATTEND FRQ ordinal (weekly, monthly, yearly)
• LATE TERM ordinal (oppose or favor)
• PRESVOTE00 nominal
• GUNS SUP nominal or ordinal?
• Do you think that the govt should make it more
  difficult to buy a gun, keep it easier, or keep
  the rules the same?
• 1) more difficult 2) easier 3) keep same
• CROOKED? ordinal (hardly any, not many, quite a
  few)
• Homework 3 will be posted ASAP. We will need
  one day to do the

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