Datasets for Statistical Analysis

Comparing a bad and good survey

Keywords:

TV poll

Description:

On the 18th of February 1993, just after Bill Clinton was elected President of the USA, a Sarcamento TV station asked viewers

Do you support the President's economic plan?

The next day, a properly conducted study reported answers to the same question.

Information:

The results of the two surveys are compared below:

	TV poll	Survey
Yes (support plan)	42%	75%
No (don't support plan)	58%	18%
Not sure	0%	7%

Source:

Utts, Jessica M and Heckard, Robert F (2002). Mind on Statistics, Duxbury, p 102.

Notes:

• Ask students for the reason for the differences
• Ask why there were no Not Sure responses in the TV survey

References: