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Home > Degree Programs > Teaching & Courses > 2013-2014 Course Listing > Politics and Policies: What Can Statistics Tell Us?
API-205: Politics and Policies: What Can Statistics Tell Us?
Semester: Fall
Credit: 1.0
Faculty: Deborah Hughes Hallett
Schedule
| Day | Time | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Day | 9/5 | ||
| Meet Day | T/Th | 1:10 PM - 2:30 PM | L140 |
| Review | F | 1:10 PM - 2:30 PM | STARR |
Description
Intended for decision makers, this course provides a broad overview of the major concepts of statistics. The focus is on critical interpretation, with applications to policy analysis and program evaluation. Includes experimental design, sampling methods, probability, confidence intervals, hypothesis tests, and regression. Using case studies, the course asks what insight data can provide -- and what it cannot -- and compares the perspectives of statistics and ethics.
The mathematical background required is kept to a minimum, though students should be familiar with some algebra and be able to handle data with a calculator and Excel. There will be two midterms and a final. May not be taken in addition to API-201.