Statistics in Public Administration.
Essay Questions 1. MEASUREMENT LEVELS (10 points) A. List and describe the different levels of data measurement; include examples in your discussion. Why is the level of measurement important? Explain the implications if you are analyzing a problem where one of the variables is national origin (country of birth). B. If you could plot the percentage return of a stock over time and determine its mean and standard deviation, how could you use this information to make an investment decision? If you wanted a low risk stock, would you want a higher or lower standard deviation, or would the standard deviation not matter at all? 2. PIVOT TABLES (10 points) Interpret the following table in a memo format addressed to me. Count of deathpenalty Column Labels Row Labels New England Mid-Atlantic South Mid-West West Grand Total No 66.67% 0.00% 7.14% 41.67% 15.38% 24.00% Yes 33.33% 100.00% 92.86% 58.33% 84.62% 76.00% Grand Total 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 3. DATA ACCURACY (20 Points) High quality data is critical for any type of analysis. Discuss the notion of accuracy in data with its differing dimensions. Then use the attached file titled Assign3wellbeing2007.xlsx containing Gallup data. Provide an evaluation of the accuracy of the data in that data set. Consider revisiting Week 3 Lecture Notes (PDF) in developing your response. The Gallup Well-Being Index is designed to be the Dow Jones of health, giving a daily measure of people’s well-being at the close of every day. With a daily measure, determining the correlation between the places where people work and the communities in which they live, and how it impacts their well-being, is possible. The Index also increases our understanding of how those factors impact the financial health of corporations and communities. Gallup interviews 1,000 adults nationally by telephone for the Index. This happens seven days away and only excludes major holidays. Survey respondents are asked a series of questions associated with health and well-being across a range of income and other demographic variables. Data Analysis Questions 4. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS PART 1 (30 Points) For this question and the next one, use the attached file: Measures_of_State_Economic_Distress.xlsx Run simple frequency distributions for the nation as a whole (all 50 states together) for foreclosure rates, food stamp rates and budget gap. How are we faring? Analyze this in a written memo format. Note these need to be separate distributions for each variable. Please provide a description of your results. 5. FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS PART 2 (30 points) Now run frequency distributions for foreclosure rates, food stamp rates and the budget gap by region (more complex frequency distributions). Are some regions of the country in worse shape than others? Provide a description of your results. Note — Include your responses in a single WORD file, with the responses numbered the same way as the questions are numbered above.