8/31 PST 101: Intro to Analysis of Public Policy Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering effective societal problem statements, survey sampling methods, question design, and sources of survey bias.

Societal Problem Statement Geographic Requirement

A necessary component of a clear societal problem statement that specifies a specific local geographic location, such as a city or county, rather than an entire state.

"To" Statement

A required phrasing format in a societal problem statement using terms like "too little," "too much," or "too few" to ensure the problem can be quantified with data.

Target Population

The entire group of individuals that a researcher wants to survey and gather information about, such as all voting-eligible adults in a country.

Sampling Frame

The group or list of individuals from the target population who are actually reached out to or respond to a survey.

Convenience Sample

A non-random sampling method that selects respondents based on easy availability, such as using students currently sitting in a lecture room.

Random Selection

A sampling method in which every individual in the target population has an equal likelihood of being chosen to participate in a survey.

Unrepresentative Sample

A survey sample whose demographic or ideological composition differs significantly from the general population, making it impossible to generalize the results.

Attitudinal Question

A type of survey question designed to measure subjective opinions, emotions, attitudes, or levels of satisfaction from the respondent.

Factual Question

A type of survey question aimed at collecting objective information regarding a respondent's background, demographics, or lived experiences.

Open-ended Question

A survey question format that allows respondents to write unstructured answers in their own words, capturing top-of-mind thoughts.

Closed-ended Question

A survey question format that restricts responses to a predetermined set of limited choices, allowing for easier structured analysis.

Text and Email Survey Bias

A survey administration bias that tends to systematically underrepresent older or less tech-savvy populations who are less likely to have cell phones or respond to text messages.

Question Priming Bias

A survey design weakness where the wording of a question introduces leading arguments or sensitive framing, pushing respondents toward a particular answer.

Roper Center

An online database repository of public opinion surveys used for navigating, searching, and analyzing survey data and methodology.