1) Analyze scholarly research aimed at informing public policy
2) Correctly interpret and synthesize results of complex statistical analysis
3) Think creatively about how changes to research design could impact findings
4) Discuss how research findings inform decision making and problem-solving
Please read the following article:
Houston, D. J., & Richardson Jr, L. E. (2004). Drinking-and-driving in America: A test of behavioral assumptions underlying public policy. Political research quarterly, 57(1), 53-64.
I. Analyze the Framework
1) What is the main question that the article is attempting to answer? USE YOUR OWN WORDS (1 paragraph please).
2) How do social definitions of behavior such as deviant and “sinful” affect the choice of policy to address those behaviors? USE YOUR OWN WORDS (1 paragraph).
II. Interpretation of Statistical Analysis
The main variables of interest for the authors are two dummy variables:
• Occasional drink-driver: =1 if an occasional drink-driver, 0 otherwise (base case is never drink-driver)
• Frequent drink-driver: =1 if a frequent drink-driver, 0 otherwise (base case is never drink-driver)
Table 1: Please refer to Table 1 for the following questions:
Table 1: BAC Model
1) What is the dependent variable in this model? Please tell me what the coding is. i.e. =1 if……., 0 otherwise.
2) Simple interpretation of raw logistic coefficient Occasional drink driver. Also report statistical significance.
3) Interpretation of OR Occasional drink driver (percentages, please)
4) Simple interpretation of raw logistic regression coefficient frequent drink driver Also report statistical significance.
