Pol 138

Front 1

fact, the real world, that which exists and can be seen through the experience of our own senses

Back 1

EMPRICIAL STATEMENT

Front 2

judgements about what should be done

Back 2

NORMATIVE STATEMENT

Front 3

normative or empirical:

hurricane katrina was the worst hurricane, in terms of lives lost, to hit a major US city in history

Back 3

EMPIRICAL

Front 4

normative or empirical

local, federal, and state officials responded poorly to hurricane katrina

Back 4

NORMATIVE- DEF. OF POOR RESPONSE?

Front 5

normative or empirical

israeli land concessions result in reduced palestinian suicide attacks

Back 5

EMPERICAL

Front 6

normative or empirical

most isu students are republicans

Back 6

EMPIRICAL

Front 7

5 RESEARCH CRITERIA!!!

Back 7

CLARITY
TESTABILTIY
THEORETICAL SIGNIFIGANCE
PRACTICAL RELEVANCE
ORIGINALITY

Front 8

presmed to be the cause

Back 8

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES

Front 9

effect or consequence

Back 9

DEPENDANT VARIABLES

Front 10

additional variables that might affect the relaationship b/t the independent and dependant variables

Back 10

CONTROL VARIABLS

look for controlling for, holding constant

Front 11

Holding education, region, and income constant, there is little difference in voter turnout between whites and African-Americans

independant variable...

Back 11

RACE

Front 12

Holding education, region, and income constant, there is little difference in voter turnout between whites and African-Americans

dependant variable...

Back 12

VOTER TURNOUT

Front 13

Holding education, region, and income constant, there is little difference in voter turnout between whites and African-Americans

control variables...

Back 13

EDUCATION, INCOME, REGION

Front 14

Holding education, region, and income constant, there is little difference in voter turnout between whites and African-Americans

units of analysis...

Back 14

INDIVIDUALS

Front 15

The larger a city, the higher the crime rate

independant variable...

Back 15

SIZE

Front 16

The larger a city, the higher the crime rate

dependant variable...

Back 16

CRIME RATE

Front 17

The larger a city, the higher the crime rate

units of analysis...

Back 17

CITIES

Front 18

specify exactly how each variable will be measured, often determined by units of analysis

Back 18

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

what we want, when and how we will get it

Front 19

Winning candidates have more positive perceptions of voters than do losing candidates

operational definitions...

Back 19

POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS- interview candidates for state legislature ask how informed they think voters are

WINNING/LOSING- review report of state election commission

Front 20

empirical or normative

62% of american people think the president is doing a good job

Back 20

EMPIRICAL

Front 21

emp or norm

most african americans vote republican

Back 21

EMPIRICAL

Front 22

emp or norm

is it more important to adopt policies that will protect the enviornment, or policies that will maximize economic growth?

Back 22

NORMATIVE

Front 23

emp or norm

it is better to to have nonpartisan elections for local governement b/c there will be less corruption

Back 23

NORMATIVE

Front 24

emp or norm

if a foreign policy desicion would increase US exports, than that's what should be done.

Back 24

NORMATIVE

Front 25

emp or norm

putting courtroom trials on TV distorts the judicial process and defeats justice.

Back 25

NORMATIVE

Front 26

emp or norm

why do communist and socialist nations have lower incomes than capitilast nations?

Back 26

EMPIRICAL

Front 27

emp or norm

allowing people to carry concealed weapons lowers the crime rate

Back 27

EMPIRICAL

Front 28

emp or norm

the current practice of campaign-fundraising is corrupting the character of American democracy

Back 28

NORMATIVE

Front 29

emp or norm

is affirmative action an unconstitutional form or reverse discrimination?

Back 29

NORMATIVE

Front 30

emp or norm

political parties have fulfilled a majority of their platform promises over the years

Back 30

EMPIRICAL

Front 31

ind/dep/control variables, UOA

media attention is neccessary for a candidate to succeed in a primary election

Back 31

IND- MEDIA ATTENTION
DEP- ELECTION SUCCESS
UOA- CANDIDATES

Front 32

ind/dep/control variables, UOA

with education, income and region held constant, there is little difference in voter turnout b/t whites and blacks

Back 32

IND- RACE
DEP- VOTER TURNOUT
CONTROL- EDUCATION, INCOME, REGION
UOA- INDIVIDUALS

Front 33

ind/dep/control variables, UOA

southern states have less party competetion than northern states.

Back 33

IND- REGION
DEP- PARTY COMPETETION
UOA- STATES

Front 34

ind/dep/control variables, UOA

when length of time since independence is held constant, democracies are more stable than dictotorships.

Back 34

IND- TYPE OF GOVT
DEP- STABILITY
CONTROL- LENGHT OF TIME SINCE IND.
UOA- NATIONS

Front 35

ind/dep/control variables, UOA

the larger a city, the higher the crime rate tends to be

Back 35

IND- SIZE
DEP- CRIME RATE
UOA- CITIES

Front 36

operational definitions

controlling for education, the more urban an area, the lower the voter turnout

Back 36

EDUCATION- YEARS OF EDUCATION PPL 25 OR OLDER, U.S. STATISTICAL ABSTRACT

URBANIZATION- POP. OF 2500 OR MORE, US BUREAU OF CENSUS

VOTER TURNOUT- NUMBER OF
BALLOTS CAST, US STAT ABSTRACT

Front 37

operational definitions

people who percieve thay they are better off economically then to vote for the incumbent candidate for president.

Back 37

ECONOMIC PERCEPTION- SURVEY, DO YOU THINK FAMILY IS WORSE OR BETTER OFF THAN YOU WERE 4 YRS AGO

PRES VOTE- ASK WHO RESPONDENTS VOTED FOR IN LAST ELECTION

Front 38

operational definitions

nations that recieve US foriegn aid are more likely to support america in foreign policy.

Back 38

FORIEGN AID- DID NATION RECIEVE ANY ASSITANCE FROM US, US STATE DEPT

SUPPORT IN FOREIGN POLICY- HOW MUCH NATIONS VOTED FOR US IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, UNITED NATIONS YEARBOOK

Front 39

operational definitions

winning candidates have more positive perceptions of voters than do losing candidates.

Back 39

POSTIVE PERCEPTIONS- INTERVIEW CANDIDATES FOR STATE LEGISLATURE, ASK IF THEY THINK VOTERS ARE WELL INFORMED

WINNING/LOSING- LOOK AT REPORT OF STATE ELECTION COMMISSION, SEE WHO WON AND LOST

Front 40

operational definitions

the better the state of the economy, the better the candidate of the incumbent president's party do in congressional elections.

Back 40

STATE OF ECONOMY- CHANGE IN INCOMR OF PEOPLE IN AREA, ANNUAL REPORT OF COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS

SUCCESS OF INC. PRES PARTY- SEE WHAT PERCENT OF SEATS WERE WON BY PRES PARTY, CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY WEEKLY REPORT

Front 41

ind/dep/control and UOA

rural areas have lower crime rates than urban areas.

Back 41

IND- URBANIZATION
DEP- CIME RATES
UOA- DEMOGRAPHIC (CITIES, STATES)

Front 42

ind/dep/control and UOA

with age held constant, education and poltical participation are positively related.

Back 42

IND- EDUCATION
DEP- POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
CONTORL- AGE
UOA- INDIVIDUAL

Front 43

ind/dep/control and UOA

the more negative the advertising in a us senatorial campaign, the lower the voter turnout rate.

Back 43

IND- NEG. CAMPAIGN
DEP- LOW VOTER TURNOUT
UOA- US STATES

Front 44

ind/dep/control and UOA

with gnp held constant, communist nations spend more than capitalist nations for the military.

Back 44

IND- TYPE OF ECONOMY
DEP- MONEY SPENT
CONTROL- GNP
UOA- NATION

Front 45

ind/dep/control and UOA

the better the state of the economy, the greater the proportion of votes recieved by theparty of the president.

Back 45

IND- STATE OF ECONOMY
DEP- NUMBER OF VOTES RECEIVED
UOA- ELECTIONS

Front 46

ind/dep/control and UOA

controlling for political party, a legislatives vote on abortiono are related to his or her religion and education.

Back 46

IND- RELIGION/EDUCATION
DEP- VOTE ON ABORTION
CONTROL- POLITICAL PARTY
UOA- POLITICAIAN

Front 47

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

the more a congressional candidate spends, the mre successful his/her campaign

Back 47

MONEY SPENT- AMT SPENT BY THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

SUCCESS- PERCENT OF VOTES RECIEVED BY CANDIDATE ACCORDING TO AMERICA VOTES

Front 48

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

the more economically developed a nation, the lower the level of political instability

Back 48

ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPED- GNP AS REPORTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS YEARBOOK

POLITICAL INSTABILITY- AVG NUMBER OF ASSASSINATIONS/ERRANEOUS POLITICAL ACTIVITY ACCORDING TO WORLD HANDBOOK OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL INDICATORS

Front 49

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

the higher the leve of a person's education, the more likely he or she is to favog legal abortion.

Back 49

LEVEL OF EDUCATION- SURVEY, HOW MANY YEARS OF SCHOOL DID YOU FINISH?

ABORITON- SO YOU BELIEVE ABORTION SHOULD BE LEGALIZED STILL?

Front 50

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

the more cometetive political parties are in a state, the more the state spends on education.

Back 50

PARTY COMPETETION- NUMBER OF REPUBLICAN VOTES AND DEMOCRATICE VOTES AS REPORTED BY AMERICA VOTES

STATE SPENDING ON EDUCATION- AMOUNT SPENT ACCORDING TO THE US STATISTICAL ABSTRACT

Front 51

REFORMULATE USING EA METHOD

should the united states increase the amount of foriegn aid it gives to poor nations?

Back 51

INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF FOREIGN AID TO THIRD WORLD NATIONS WOULD DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF FEDERAL SPENDING ON EDUCATION, THE MILITARY, AND OUR BUDGET DEFECIT

Front 52

REFORMULATE USING EA METHOD

would we be better off if congress and the presidency were controlled byt eh same political party?

Back 52

WHEN THE PRESIDENCY AND CONGRESS HAVE BEEN CONTROLLED BY THE SAME POLITICAL PARTY, EMPLOYMENT RATES HAVE RISEN AND AMOUNT OF PEOPLE DEPENDANT ON WELFARS HAS DECREASED

ARE FEDERAL BUDGET DEFECITS GREATER IN YEARS OF UNIFIED PARTY CONTROL THAN YEARS OF DIVIDED CONTROL?

Front 53

REFORMULATE USING EA METHOD

since poor education is the biggest problem facing the nation, spending for schools should be increased.

Back 53

CHILDREN ATTENDING SCHOOLS THAT RECIEVE VERY LITTLE EDUCATION SPENDING GET LOWER GRADES ON TESTS COPARED TO STUDENTS ATTENDING SCHOOLS THAT RECEIEVE MORE PUBLIC SPENDING.

Front 54

REFORMULATE USING EA METHOD

negative campaign adverstising is whats wrong with elections today.

Back 54

NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING DECREASES THE AMOUNT OF VOTERS WHO COE OUT ON ELECTION DAY.

Front 55

REFORMULATE USING EA METHOD

do we need a new political party to represent middle- of the road views

Back 55

A NEW POLITICAL PARTY WITH CENTRAL IDEAS HAVE RECIEVED A MAJORITY OF THE VOTE THROUGHOUT HISTORY.

Front 56

EVALUATE ON THE 5 RESEARCH CRITERIA

how democratice is the US political system?

Back 56

CLARITY- not very precise, although the variables are known, they are not specific. democratic could be defined many different ways, and the political system is not justified.
TESTABILITY- the question is testable and data is avaible, altough making the question more precise would make obtaining information easier
THEORETICAL SIGNIFIGANCE- it is fairly TS, may explain how the political system works to those who are unfamiliar with it.
PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE- this may lead people to be more likely to vote b/c they understand how their gov't works more efficeintly
ORIGINALITY- the question is fairly original and has not been well established

Front 57

EVALUATE ON THE 5 RESEARCH CRITERIA

who shot president kennedy?

Back 57

CLARITY- the question is down to the point and the variables are obvious
TESTABLE- the data is avaialable, many theoires have been tested and many have their own conclusions
TS- explain exactly what happened according to a certain authour
PS- may lead to explanations of other presidential assassinations or shootings
ORIGINAL- not original at all, the question has been asked many times and it seems the answer will never be known...

SHOULD CHANGE IT BECAUSE IT DEALS WITH A SINGLE SUBJECT!

Front 58

EVALUATE ON THE 5 RESEARCH CRITERIA

which memebr of the us house had the poorest attendance record on roll call voting in the last session?

Back 58

CLARITY- the question is clear and the variables are present
TESTABLE- the question is easily testable, can get information from congressional records
TS- not TS or PR, don't need to know, doesn't improve knowledge of the subject
ORIGINAL- probably original

Front 59

EVALUATE ON THE 5 RESEARCH CRITERIA

are voters desicions' in recent presidential elections influence more by their attitudes on abortion or by their perceptions of the economic situation?

Back 59

CLARITY- very clear and precie question
TESTABILITY- info easily obtained by conducting a survey
TS- explain why voters tend to vote they way they do according to party
PS- may lead to different techniques of politicians to rally and collect votes
ORIGINAL- since question is so specific, it is most likely original