Notes: The answers for the practice exam and the answers for the real final exam are now available. It's been real...
The purpose of this course is to train students in how to analyze political phenomena in a rigorous and scientific manner. This knowledge requires an understanding of two different components: research design and statistics. In the first component, students will learn how to discriminate between theories, pose proper research questions, construct a relevant hypothesis, make valid causal inferences, operationalize concepts, and test their hypotheses. The latter component offers the student a "statistical toolbox" to use as he or she pursues the scientific study of all things political. This component covers quantitative topics such as central tendency and dispersion, measures of association, and regression analysis. By the end of this course, the student should have mastered the basic requirements to begin conducting, comprehending, and critiquing reseach in political science.