HOW DO PEOPLE

VOTE?

PURPOSE

​

• To draw reasonable & unbiased conclusions based on election data.
• To cultivate quantitative analytical skills.
• To draw distinctions between what you want the data to say and what the data actually says.

After hearing from Cook Political Report’s David Wasserman, answer the following three questions:

HOW TO EVALUATE POLLS

What suggestions does David Wasserman give when evaluating polls?

Why is the source of a poll important to understand?

Why might candidates only promote certain polling results?

After hearing from CBS Elections and Surveys Director Anthony Salvanto, answer the following two questions:

MARGIN OF ERROR

What is a margin of error?

In close election polls, why is it important to know the margin of error?

After hearing from Suffolk University Political Research Center Director David Paleologos, answer the following four questions:

INTERNAL VS. PUBLIC POLLING

Define the "difference" between the two types of polls.

Where do public polls "often end up?"

What is "exactly the same" with both public and internal polls? Explain.

According to David Paleologos, why are academic polls a 'safer place to be?'

WHICH RACE DO YOU WANT TO TRACK?

CHOOSE YOUR OWN DATA ADVENTURE

SENATE

(specify state)

PRESIDENT

CHOOSE 2-3 DATA SETS TO EXPLORE

CHOOSE YOUR OWN DATA ADVENTURE

PARTY ID

RACE OR ETHNICITY

GEOGRAPHIC AREA

AGE OR GENERATION

EDUCATION LEVEL

STUDENT’S CHOICE

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION

GENDER

2 - Describe any relevant trends or patterns based on three consecutive election cycles.

4 - Explain how a candidate for the race you’ve selected can use your data analysis to his/her advantage.

3 - Draw a conclusion as to why the stated trends or patterns exist as they do.

1 - Make a specific prediction about how your selected data set groups will vote. Which candidate will win, and by how much of an increase or decrease (%) from the last election cycle?

RESPOND TO ALL PROMPTS

RESOURCES

• ELECTION DATA RESOURCES
• C-SPAN Resources
• Campaign Pages (can scroll through years with the button on the left)
• Polling Resources (various clips to better understand polling)

DELIVERABLES DUE

And a poster that includes the following:

1. The most significant data you found.
2. The most significant takeaways from your analysis.
3. Impactful quotes from the two leading candidates in the race.
4. A symbol that represents the race.
5. A symbol that represents the most important issues to your selected data sets.

One paragraph about which data sets you selected to study and why.

A works cited page of all the data you used.

Thorough responses to all four prompts on Slide 8.

Answers to the questions for the three introductory video clips.

RUBRIC