1. Learning with the Center for the Study of Local Issues 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 Provide students opportunities to better understand applied social science research methods while encouraging civic awareness and engagement Serve community and local government by offering research services and communicating survey findings Provide opportunities for faculty professional development Help AACC understand its environment through relevant data collection and analysis 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 (see www2.aacc.edu/csli/csliclub.htm) 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 Process 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 (if 15 hours or more required) 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) Options for data collection: 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’ Semi-annual Surveys - Why is your role so important? CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

10. How do surveys work? ( Data collection continued ) CSLI’s process: Telephone – personal interviews – that’s what you will be doing CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey Semi-annual Surveys - Why is your role so important?

11. 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 (option) CSLI’s lists of numbers are a 90/10 percent mix We start with over 10000 phone numbers! CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey Semi-annual Surveys - Why is your role so important?

12. 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 Semi-annual Surveys - Why is your role so important?

13. 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 Semi-annual Surveys - Why is your role so important?

14. 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 Semi-annual Surveys - Why is your role so important?

15. Semi-annual Surveys: Recent Major Topics Semi-annual survey – topics over the last couple of years Major issues facing the county Economic conditions and concerns in the county Perceptions of BRAC’s impact on the county The vision for public schools in the county Cigarette Tax Death Penalty Presidential job approval Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Lots of demographic info: age, income, employment situation, race, religion, gender, party, ideology CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

16. Presidential job approval

17. Right/Wrong Direction

18. AA County Polling Results: Most Important Problem - Fall '06 to Fall '11

19. Economy Excellent or Good: AA County vs. USA – County looks around 35% better

20. Economic conditions: Found job, got income increase County residents vs. AACC students

21. Consumer confidence: County vs. students

22. 22 IssueSupportOpposeUnsure Imposing an additional fine of up to $1500 on drivers caught drunk driving86131 Permitting the use of off-shore wind power near Ocean City8010 Increasing the alcohol tax68293 Permitting the purchase of marijuana for medical purposes65297 Taking away drivers’ licenses from those who refuse to pay taxes64323 Increasing the use of cameras to ticket those running red lights59414 Making same sex marriages legal in Maryland47467 Making preparations to implement President Obama’s health care reform law 43508 Limiting the use of binding arbitration when the county negotiates with public safety unions 354223 Allowing the children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition for college 33634 Increasing university tuition to maintain the quality of higher education32662 Reducing the pension and retiree health benefits of state workers28657 Promising state workers no furlough days, and providing them with a $750 bonus 255916 Increasing the county income tax to the maximum allowed by law to avoid cuts in essential services 25687 Increasing the gasoline tax to bolster the transportation trust fund17803 State and County Issues

23. 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%

24. 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 …

25. Perceptions of 2020: Health Care by Ideology and Party Health Care Quality/Access

26. Earthquake: Where were you and was there a plan?

27. 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 Earthquake - communication: Method, Success

28. The Spring 2012 Semi-annual Survey See Word document CSLI: The Semi-annual Survey

29. 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