Stats Project
This really was a project I turned in for AP Stats.
The article I found was a survey on the basic knowledge of Americans. This survey was on the Gallup website. It asked Americans three questions. The were as follows: 1) What is the specific historical event celebrated on July 4? 2) Which country did America gain its independence from? and 3) Does the earth revolve around the sun or does the sun revolve around the earth? The population for this survey is the entire country of the USA. For all of these questions, the sampling method was random (probably SRS). 1,016 adults (18 and older) were selected randomly from a national sample. These people were called from June 25-27, 1999. The people who did not want to spend the time to answer the survey would be underrepresented in this poll. According to the article, the poll results are 95% accurate with a maximum error attributed to sampling and other random effects of +/- 3%. There was no experimentation involved. The confounding/lurking variables will be explained in the discussions of the individual question results. The Gallup website funded this poll.
The results for question one (what is celebrated on July 4?) are as follows: signing of the Declaration of Independence 55%, Independence Day 32%, birth of the US 1%, other 6%, no opinion 6%. The correct answer was that July 4, 1776 is when the Continental Congress approved the Declaration (not signed). About fifty percent of Americans have some kind of idea as to what the Fourth of July is really celebrating.
The results for question two (from which country did America gain its independence?) are as follows: Great Britain 76%, France 2%, other 3%, 19% unsure. Thus, three out of four Americans know that America fought the British for independence. Groups with higher degrees of self reported patriotism such as older people and whites were more likely to correctly name the country. Also males were more likely to know than females (85% compared to 69%).
The results for question three (does the sun or the earth revolve around the other) are as follows: the earth revolves around the sun 79%, the sun revolves around the earth 18%, no opinion 3%. Four out of five Americans know the earth revolves around the sun.
This poll contained no obvious biases and was conducted in a professional manner. From the above data, it is safe to conclude that millions of Americans are stupid.
The article I found was a survey on the basic knowledge of Americans. This survey was on the Gallup website. It asked Americans three questions. The were as follows: 1) What is the specific historical event celebrated on July 4? 2) Which country did America gain its independence from? and 3) Does the earth revolve around the sun or does the sun revolve around the earth? The population for this survey is the entire country of the USA. For all of these questions, the sampling method was random (probably SRS). 1,016 adults (18 and older) were selected randomly from a national sample. These people were called from June 25-27, 1999. The people who did not want to spend the time to answer the survey would be underrepresented in this poll. According to the article, the poll results are 95% accurate with a maximum error attributed to sampling and other random effects of +/- 3%. There was no experimentation involved. The confounding/lurking variables will be explained in the discussions of the individual question results. The Gallup website funded this poll.
The results for question one (what is celebrated on July 4?) are as follows: signing of the Declaration of Independence 55%, Independence Day 32%, birth of the US 1%, other 6%, no opinion 6%. The correct answer was that July 4, 1776 is when the Continental Congress approved the Declaration (not signed). About fifty percent of Americans have some kind of idea as to what the Fourth of July is really celebrating.
The results for question two (from which country did America gain its independence?) are as follows: Great Britain 76%, France 2%, other 3%, 19% unsure. Thus, three out of four Americans know that America fought the British for independence. Groups with higher degrees of self reported patriotism such as older people and whites were more likely to correctly name the country. Also males were more likely to know than females (85% compared to 69%).
The results for question three (does the sun or the earth revolve around the other) are as follows: the earth revolves around the sun 79%, the sun revolves around the earth 18%, no opinion 3%. Four out of five Americans know the earth revolves around the sun.
This poll contained no obvious biases and was conducted in a professional manner. From the above data, it is safe to conclude that millions of Americans are stupid.