POLS265 Political Data Analysis

Schram

Fall 2006

SECOND RESEARCH EXERCISE

For this exercise, you must analyze quantitative data to test a hypothesis.

Review the social science data sets available at:

UC-Berkeley Social Science Data Archive

UMich ICPSR SETUPS on Voting Behavior

US Census Bureau's Current Population Survey

After seeing what is available, think about a plausible hypothesis to test. Choose variables that will enable you to produce crosstabulations that can help test that hypothesis.

Choose a third variable to serve as a control to refine your analysis.

When writing up you analysis, be sure to:

1. State your hypothesis in a form that specifies how one variable is or is not likely to be related to another;
2. Explain why the hypothesis is logical, interesting and worth studying;
3. Clarify why your variables are credible ways of measuring the relationship you are studying;
4. Present your table(s) in a clear and readable way;
5. Interpret your table(s) as to whether your data analysis supports your hypothesis; and
6. Conclude by suggesting what other research should be done to better understand your topic.

This assignment should be 4-5 pages typewritten, double-spaced and submitted in class Wednesday, October 25, 2006.