The Essentials of Political Analysis

by Pollock, Philip H.

• ISBN13: 9781608716869
• ISBN10: 1608716864
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-07-19
• Publisher: Cq Pr

Summary

Political science students need to get comfortable using the tools of political analysis. For stats-phobic undergrads, the research methods course need not need be nerve wracking, especially with Pollock#x19;s bestselling text to help them along the way. His brief, accessible guide walks students through the basics-measuring concepts, formulating and testing hypotheses, describing variables-while using key terms, chapter-opening objectives, 80 tables and figures, and class-tested exercises to get them using and applying their new skills. The new fourth edition features enhanced treatment of research design and logic controlled comparison and illustrates complex relationships with more accessible examples. A completely revised rubric further helps students identify these complex relationships in their own research.

Author Biography

Philip H. Pollock III is professor of political science at the University of Central Florida. He has taught courses in research methods at the undergraduate and graduate levels for more than thirty years. His main research interests are American public opinion, voting behavior, techniques of quantitative analysis, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. His recent research has been on the effectiveness of Internet-based instruction. Pollock's research has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, Social Science Quarterly, and the British Journal of Political Science. Recent scholarly publications include articles in Political Research Quarterly, the Journal of Political Science Education, and PS: Political Science and Politics.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Definition and Measurement of Concepts

Conceptual Definitions

Operational Definitions

Measuring and Describing Variables

Measuring Variables

Describing Variables

Proposing Explanations, Framing Hypotheses, and Making Comparisons

Proposing Explanations

Framing Hypotheses

Making Comparisons

Graphing Relationships and Describing Patterns

The âÇ£How Else?âÇ  Question: Making Controlled Comparisons

Experimental Studies

Observational Studies

Three Scenarios: X Y, Controlling for Z

Sampling and Inference

Cross-Tabulation Analysis

Graphing Controlled Comparisons

Foundations of Statistical Inference

Population Parameters and Sample Statistics

Random Sampling

The Standard Error of a Sample Mean

Inference Using the Normal Distribution

Inference Using the Students' T-Distribution

What About Sample Proportions?

Tests of Significance and Measures of Association

Statistical Significance

Measures of Association

Correlation and Linear Regression

Correlation

Bivariate Regression

R-Square

Dummy Variable Regression

Logistic Regression

The Logistic Regression Approach

Finding the Best Fit: Maximum Likelihood Estimation

Logistic Regression with Multiple Independent Variables

Working with Probabilities

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