Akron Research Politics Purpose Statement: To Determine

Akron Research

Politics

Purpose Statement: To determine whether or not one's political affiliation has an impact on their views regarding public policy.

Applicable Literature: The relationship between political affiliation and behavior has been studied extensively, dating back decades. Studies in the 1960s and 70s explored the impact of party affiliation on judge's decisions (Nagel, 1961), and on the war in Vietnam (Verba et al., 1967). In some of these studies, political affiliation is considered to be a demographic variable that can be measured and used to help analyze results, and this tactic has continued to be popular fifty years hence. For example, a recent study examined the impact of political affiliation on trade issues (White, 2009). Recent literature in psychology and sociology has gone further, to study how political affiliation impacts on one's thinking process (Gerber et al., 2009; Baldassarri, 2008). This study will approach the issue again from a public policy perspective. As a result, the study will add to the understanding of how political affiliation impacts one's views on public policy. In addition, it will provide current insight to the practitioners in the political sphere about the current state of American opinion on a topical matter (tax policy).

Research Question and Hypothesis: The research question will be "Does political party affiliation affect one's support of a surtax on millionaires?" The null hypothesis is that yes, political affiliation does affect one's support of this surtax. The alternative hypothesis is that no, political affiliation does not affect one's support of this surtax.

Measurement and Analysis Approach. Drawing from the many studies from the past that have asked questions with a similar structure to this one, the chosen method of analysis is via survey. Surveys of the public allow researchers to draw a large random sample from across the country, providing the most statistically robust survey group. The survey question will be multiple choice, allowing for easier measurement than if an open-ended, qualitative answer is allowed. Having a set of three or four clear answers will allow for better analysis as well. Regression will be the method of analysis for this study. Regression analysis will allow the researchers to focus on how the dependent variable (the opinion) changes when the independent variable (the political affiliation) changes.

Choice of Report Format: The report will be in the format of a formal report. The report is being written for an industry/government audience for an audience of decision-makers. This format is the most appropriate because this is a formal study. The conclusions of the report will be final, and the methodology consistent with the standards of a formal report.

Notes:

Slide One -- the Topic is a general topic on the topic of the study. In this study, the generic topic is Politics

Slide Two -- the purpose statement explains clearly and succinctly what the intended outcome of the research is. In this case, the purpose statement is to determine whether or not political affiliation impacts the voter's opinion about a new tax idea.

Slide Three -- The literature covering this type of study goes back decades. Early examples of this type of study that tests political affiliation and opinion on a public policy matter included studies about opinions on the Vietnam War, and whether party membership impacted the findings of judges.

Slide Four -- More recent literature has focused on this subject in a couple of ways. The first is a continuation of the old studies to try and examine how political affiliation impacts opinions. The other type of study, from both psychology and sociology, has sought to determine the impact of one's political affiliation on their thought patterns.

Slide Five -- The current study builds on the traditional approach of determining to what degree political affiliation is a predictor for an opinion. Political affiliation is basically used as a demographic trait in these types of studies, along with gender, age and ethnicity.

Slide Six -- The research question flows from the purpose statement and the literature that has been reviewed. In this case: "Does political party affiliation affect one's support of a surtax on millionaires?"

Slide Seven: The null hypothesis for this question is that yes it does. Much of the research appears to demonstrate that political affiliation is a predictor for opinions about public policy issues. One would expect that the current media climate would amplify this effect. The alternative hypothesis is "no, party affiliation does not affect one's views about this tax proposal."

Slide Eight: The study is going to be quantitative in nature. The responses will be qualitative, but they will be multiple choice. This will allow for quantitative analysis. The survey will not consist of open-ended questions, because then the survey will be difficult to extrapolate to the broader population.

Slide Nine: The use of multiple choice is common in such surveys. Typically, there are only a few major options for responses. Unless somebody is a professional economist, the response is not likely to be complex, so it is reasonable that a limited number of responses are offered.

Slide Ten: The analysis will be conducted using a regression analysis. The dependent variable is the opinion and the independent variable is the political affiliation. With these parameters, regression analysis is the best choice to analyze the relationship between these variables.

Slide Eleven: Regression analysis and the use of a quantitative study in general allows for the findings to be extrapolated to the broad population, which is essential for this particular audience. In addition, the findings can be tested for validity, which is common practice in public opinion polls.