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In 2011 there was a dispute between the Governor of Wisconsin and the teacher's union about whether teachers should have the right to go on strike. In February of that year, a Rasmussen Poll asked a nationwide sample "Should teachers, fireman and policemen be allowed to go on strike?" a. Do you think this question is a valid way to determine whether people think teachers should be allowed to go on strike? Explain. b. Do you think the responses to this question would be biased in favor of supporting teachers being allowed to strike, not supporting that view, or not biased in either direction? Explain. c. Write a valid question for determining opinions on this issue.

Short Answer

Expert verified
a. No, it's not valid due to the combination of professions. b. The question may bias responses against supporting strikes. c. "Do you support teachers' right to strike for better pay/conditions?"

Step by step solution

01

Analyze the Question

The question asks, "Should teachers, firemen, and policemen be allowed to go on strike?" This lumps together multiple professions which can lead to confusion as people may have different opinions on each profession's right to strike. Therefore, it's not solely about teachers, which makes it invalid to determine opinions specifically about teachers.
02

Evaluate for Bias

The inclusion of 'policemen' and 'firemen' may evoke safety concerns in respondents, as strikes involving these professions could directly affect public safety. Therefore, respondents may lean towards not supporting strikes due to concerns over safety, thereby introducing a bias against allowing teachers to strike as well.
03

Create a Valid Question

A more valid question would be: "Do you support or oppose teachers having the right to go on strike for better pay and working conditions?" This question is specific, focusing only on teachers and adding context which makes it clear what the strike would be about.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Question Validity
Determining the validity of a question is crucial in survey design, especially in statistics education. A valid question should measure what it is intended to measure without introducing confusion or ambiguity.
When analyzing the question "Should teachers, fireman, and policemen be allowed to go on strike?", it becomes apparent that it lacks validity for determining opinions specifically about teachers. The inclusion of multiple professions within a single question can lead to mixed feelings or interpretations by respondents.
  • Lumping together teachers with professions like firemen and policemen might result in respondents recalling different emotions or priorities.
  • Individuals might hold distinctive views about each group's right to strike, which means the question is not targeted enough to accurately gauge opinions about teachers alone.
Thus, while the question touches upon the right to strike, its broad scope fails to isolate opinions about teachers specifically, making it invalid for the intended purpose.
Response Bias
Response bias refers to a tendency of respondents to answer questions untruthfully or misleadingly due to various factors inherent in the survey design. In the instance of the given question, potential for bias is substantial. Including policemen and firemen in the question could evoke concerns about public safety and emergency response.
  • When considering the right to strike, respondents might weigh the potential societal impact of strikes by emergency personnel like policemen and firemen, leading them to lean towards an overall negative response.
  • This bias can overshadow the true opinion about teachers’ right to strike, as respondents might react to the implicit risk involved rather than to the specific question about teachers.
Overall, the way the question was phrased may steer responses away from neutrality, skewing results against allowing teachers to strike.
Opinion Polling
Opinion polling aims to capture the true sentiment of a population regarding a specific issue, requiring precisely crafted questions. A well-designed poll question ensures that respondents understand clearly what they are being asked about, thus eliciting more accurate responses.
In designing a question for opinion polling, specificity is key. A more effective question for understanding public opinion on teacher strikes would be: "Do you support or oppose teachers having the right to go on strike for better pay and working conditions?"
  • This alternative question narrows the focus solely to teachers and their rights, removing other potential influencing factors associated with other professions.
  • Additionally, it adds context by specifying the reasons for striking, which helps respondents form a clearer opinion.
By structuring poll questions with precision, it minimizes misunderstanding and provides fairness in capturing true sentiments.

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