Statistics for Public Policy

Catalog description

This course will teach you basic “frequentist” statistical techniques used by researchers to investigate social, economic, and political phenomena. These techniques are really just tools to effectively organize data and present information about the world. For example, researchers have recently employed these statistical techniques to answer the following kinds of questions: “To what extent do women and men differ in their opinions about same-sex marriage?”, “Does receiving a college degree increase or decrease preferences for living in diverse neighborhoods?”, “Are birth defects related to local levels of water pollution?”, “Are there significant regional differences in student test score achievement?”. By the end of this semester, you will be skilled enough in the art of statistics to address questions like these. Just as important, this course is designed to help you become an informed consumer of social statistics. You will develop an awareness of the uses of statistics in everyday life, gaining the ability to think critically about statistics, and building skills to interpret and critique research employing these techniques.