1. Learning with the Center for the Study of Local Issues: Introductory Meeting Dan Nataf, PhD, Director Center for the Study of Local Issues Careers 132 Anne Arundel Community College 101 College Parkway Arnold, MD 21012-1895 http:www2.aacc.edu/csli ddnataf@aacc.edu 410.777.2733 Agenda: I.Review Mission/History of CSLI II.Understanding surveys III.Your role IV.Review previous findings V.Questionnaire VI.Next steps

2. CSLI History and Mission Historical Background: In business since 1978! 1. Creation and operation as part of Division of Social Sciences: 1978-1999 – a community college ‘research center’ 2.Operation as part of Sarbanes Center for Public and Community Service 2006-present Advisory Board: 20 +/- community activists, elected officials, government administrators, students, faculty Provides guidance and link to the community both within and outside the campus Staff: Director, Program Specialist, Student Interns

3. CSLI History and Mission 1. Provide students opportunities to better understand applied social science research methods while encouraging civic awareness and engagement 2.Serve community and local government by offering research services and communicating survey findings 3.Provide opportunities for faculty professional development 4.Help AACC understand its environment through relevant data collection and analysis CSLI Mission – four elements

4. Mission: Provide students opportunities to better understand applied social science research methods while encouraging civic awareness and engagement Activities providing student opportunities: Participation in community surveys Participation in client based research projects Student internships CSLI student club CSLI History and Mission

5. Semi-annual Survey The survey process at a glance… 1.Conducted in March and October 2.Telephone interviews – 350-550 (record 917) completions 3.Press releases 4.Public presentations 5.Media outreach 6.Web site (http://www2.aacc.edu/csli) CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

6. Service Learning and Nataf’s Classes Semi-annual survey – how students participate for service learning credit (and Nataf’s extra credit) Up to five contacts with CSLI Introductory meeting 2-3+ nights of telephone interviews Final meeting – review of survey process, findings, SPSS/hypotheses testing Short paper (varies by instructor) CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

7. Semi-annual Surveys - Why is your role so important? How do surveys work? 1.Identify a population whose characteristics and attitudes are interesting to us 2.Our population – Residents of Anne Arundel County at least 18 years of age 3.Our goal – Ask a small group (the “sample”) questions 4.Generalize the findings to the whole population (the “universe”) CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

8. How do surveys work? (continued) Find a proper sample size: costs vs. margins of error – Example: Population of 100k+, confidence interval 95% ErrorSample Size 31111 5384 7204 10100 CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey Semi-annual Surveys - Why is your role so important?

9. How do surveys work? (Data collection methods) Choices: 1. Face to face – personal interviews =>2. Telephone – personal interviews 3. Self-administered - by mail, exit poll, group setting 4. Online – a version of ‘self administered’ Surveys - Modes of delivery CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

10. How do surveys work? ( Data collection continued) How do we choose who shall participate in survey? Two choices: (1) Randomly select from listed phone numbers (2) Use computer generated “likely unlisted residential numbers within your target jurisdiction” (3) Add in some cell phone numbers (current option) CSLI’s lists of numbers are a 60/40 landline/cell percent mix We start with over 10000 phone numbers! CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

11. How do surveys work? ( Survey assumptions) What are we assuming in using telephone numbers? That everyone in our target universe is equally likely to have a phone and willing/able to answer a survey Could other methods be used to ensure more complete representation? Ideally, yes! But the other data collection methods are harder to implement and/or more expensive… CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

12. How do surveys work? (Sources of error) What are other data collection challenges? * Interviewer bias * Social desirability (“Halo effect”) * Unclear questions * Non-attitudes * Non-response bias (both overall and to items) * Unequal representation of subgroups None of these is necessarily a fatal flaw, but should make us sensitive that there are more sources of error than just the statistical ‘margin of error’ CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

13. How do surveys work? (Getting to the finish line!) What happens to all the completed surveys? 1.Data entry. This means we need to enter all the answers into a database for statistical processing. 2.Statistical analysis. 3.Write a report. 4.Send it out as a “press release.” 5.Post it on the Web. 6.Use it in public presentations. CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

14. Semi-annual Surveys: Recent Major Topics Semi-annual survey – topics over the last few years Major issues facing the county Economic conditions and concerns in the county Cost of higher education Sequestration and debt ceiling fed. govt. shutdown County infrastructure needs Death Penalty Presidential job approval Gun control Lots of demographic info: age, income, employment situation, race, religion, gender, party, ideology CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

15. Presidential Job approval Fall 2007 to Spring 2014 Bush Obama

16. County: Right or Wrong Direction? Fall ‘00 to Spring ‘14

17. Most Important Problem: Fall 2007 to Spring 2014

18. Economic Conditions: (% excellent+good) County vs. Maryland and USA

19. Is there a relationship between income and economic conditions? (Fall, 2013) ConditionUnder $75,000$75,000+Signif. Received a salary increase or other increase in income recently 2744.01 Hard to afford cost of utilities such as electricity or gas 4828.01 Health care insurance is unavailable, too expensive or inadequate 4025.01 Unable to find affordable housing 1910.02 Facing the possibility of house foreclosure or loss 115.02 Hard to afford the cost of transportation 4133.03 Wages or salaries are not rising as fast as the cost of living 6862.04 Delay in making a major purchase such as a home or car 5041.06 Facing the possibility of unemployment 1914.1 Significant losses in your stock or retirement accounts 4148.2 Found a new or better job recently 1418.3 Taxes are too high in relation to the government services provided 6359.5

20. Major Issues: Support/Oppose IssueSupportOpposeUnsureNA/Won’t say Increased availability of pre-kindergarten schooling for low income families 821152 Reducing the estate tax in Maryland so that it only applies to estates over $5 million 6917122 The construction of a new high school in the Crofton area. 647254 An increase in the state minimum wage to $10.10 by 2016 603091 Having a later start time for students in high school5527153 Changing gun control laws to make the purchase of shotguns as strictly regulated as the purchase of handguns 514271 Leaving unchanged the county’s storm-water fee meant to help clean up the Bay. 4441141 A decrease in Maryland’s corporate income tax4339162 Legalization of marijuana for recreational use, with a high tax and restrictions against the sale to minors 3650131 Table 7: State and County Proposals – Support, Oppose, Unsure

21. Minimum Wage – Party, Ideology and Race

22. Marijuana – Party, Ideology and Age

23. Affordable Care Act - Support ProblemSupportOpposeUndecided Overall494010 Democrats73178 Republicans197010 Unaffiliated55349 Liberals8010 Moderates543213 Conservatives18765

24. Race for Governor, Spring 2014 CANDIDATEWith Undecided/NA Overall – Likely Voters Without Undecided/NA Overall-LV Party Specific Vote –LV* Democrats Brown, Anthony (D)73356 Gansler, Doug (D)31419 Mizeur, Heather (D)2916 Total within party125691 Republicans Craig, David (R)289 George, Ron (R)21022 Lollar, Charles (R)139 Hogan, Larry (R)52357 Total within party104497 UNDECIDED, other78 Total overall100

25. Job approval, Spring 2014 Individual/Office ApproveDisapproveNo answer Governor Martin O’Malley335512 County Exec. Laura Neuman541135 President Barack Obama39529 “Congress”9865

26. Budget Issues: Party and Ideology AllDemRepInd.D-R Maintaining the tuition freeze at the University of Maryland79 850 Maintaining the level of state funding for public schools788176775 Requiring school employees to take several unpaid days off363936303 Shifting the cost of teachers’ pensions to local governments24232820-5 O’Malley doing poor job % Ideology Conservative55 Moderate33 Liberal10 Conservative-Liberal45 Party Democrat21 Republican62 Independent38 Democrat-Republican-41 % saying “support” O’Malley’s job balancing budget: Good=13%; Okay=42%; Poor=38%

27. YesNoUnsure /N.A. Total President Obama’s state of the union speech? 72281101 Governor O’Malley’s inaugural speech or his state of the state speech 41581100 Watched County Council hearings being broadcast on local cable stations anytime over the last year? 19801100 Watched, listened or read about …(F ‘12)

28. Earthquake - communication: Method, Success (Fall 2011) Method% Saying usedSuccessfulNot successful Other/No answer CountyStudents Mobile phone 66 71 40 55 5 Text message 42 7857 3014 Land line telephone 40 17 453718 Email 25 9 274132 Social media 19 49 254035

29. The Fall 2014 Semi-annual Survey See Word document CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

30. Next Steps 1.Make sure you know which evenings you are spending with us 2.First night – come at 5:30 p.m. training in telephone interviewing methods and questionnaire marking 3.Last two nights – no need for more training, come at 6:00 p.m. 4.Final meeting – in three weeks 5.If necessary, don’t forget to turn in your short paper See you next week! CSLI: Your Next Steps