Final Project (Exam)
POLS 2810 Spring 24
For a hypothesis of your own choosing about the 2020 election and using the 2020 ANES data set:
Begin the project by stating your hypothesis and your causal theory. Explain them both using
complete sentences so that someone not in this class is sure to understand what’s going on.
Then explain what your control variable is going to be and explain why you think it’s an important
control for your project. Give the whole relationship context so that it is clear to your reader why
you think X causes Y. Make sure there is reason to think the relationship is a causal one, and not
simply a correlation.
Then follow these steps.
a) Identify and write a conceptual definition for your dependent variable (Y). Use complete
sentences and explain what’s going on here such that someone not in this class could understand
what you’re up to.
b) Identify and write a conceptual definition for your independent variable (X). Use complete
sentences and explain what’s going on here such that someone not in this class could understand
what you’re up to.
c) Create a frequency table for your Y and explain how you generated Y, including any recodes.
Paste in the syntax you used to create this table as well as the finished table itself. Interpret the
table using complete sentences to explain what’s going on such that someone not in this class
could understand what you’re up to.
d) Create a frequency table for your X and explain how you generated X, including any recodes.
Paste in the syntax you used to create this table. Paste in the syntax you used to create this table
as well as the finished table itself. Interpret the table using complete sentences to explain what’s
going on such that someone not in this class could understand what you’re up to.
e) Test the relationship between X and Y using either a cross tabulation or comparison of means
table (whichever is most appropriate). Paste in the syntax you used to create this table as well as
the finished table itself. Interpret the table using complete sentences and explain what’s going
on such that someone not in this class could understand what you’re up to.
f) Create a figure that helps you visualize the table that you used to test the relationship. Paste in
the syntax you used to create this figure as well as the finished table itself. Interpret the table
using complete sentences and explain what’s going on such that someone not in this class could
understand what you’re up to here as well.
g) Interpret the table and figure using complete sentences, explaining why the hypothesis was either
correct or incorrect.
h) Identify and write a conceptual definition for your control variable (Z). Use complete sentences
and explain what’s going on here such that someone not in this class could understand what
you’re up to.
i) Create a frequency table for your Z (control variable) and explain how you generated Z,
including any recodes. Paste in the syntax you used to create this table as well as the finished
table itself. Interpret the table using complete sentences and explain what’s going on such that
someone not in this class could understand what you’re up to.
j) Test the relationship between X and Y controlling for Z using either a cross tabulation or
comparison of means table (whichever is most appropriate). Paste in the syntax you used to
create this table as well as the finished table itself. Interpret the table using complete sent ences
and explain what’s going on such that someone not in this class could understand what you’re
up to.
k) Create a figure that helps you visualize the table that you used to test the relationship in part j.
Paste in the syntax you used to create this figure as well as the finished table itself.
l) Interpret the table using complete sentences and explain what’s going on such that someone not
in this class could understand what you’re up to in parts j and k. To the best of your abilities
include a description of the controlled and partial effects.
m) Provide an overall summary of your research and all that you have in your final analysis (table
and figure): What is your conclusion about that data? What do you think is important to take
away from your analysis?
