Explaining our negative feelings towards Politicians and Parties

Explaining our negative feelings towards Politicians and Parties2008 StudentResearch QuestionWhat predicts our positive or negative feelings about politicians and political parties?

HypothesisAge (Nevittes Decline of Deference)Family and Friends (Qualitative Research)

MethodCES 2006 SurveySyntax available for replication

Index:Politicians dont keep their promisesAll parties are corruptPoliticians are ready to lie to get electedGovernment doesnt care what people like me thinkHow (negative) do you feel about parties in generalHow (negative) do you feel about politicians in generalCronbachs Alpha: 0.7368

Findings (positive relationships = more positive views of government)

Extremely Weak but still significantFamily talked often about politics while growing up: Tau-c: .09262It is the duty if citizens to vote: Tau-c: .05377 Discussed politics often in the last week: Tau-c: .09262Higher Income: Tau-b: .14045

Findings (positive relationships = more positive views of government) Age had no significant difference at 95% - we are equally discontented. -Chi: .00864

Findings (positive relationships = more positive views of government)Stronger (still weak) significant relationships:Higher Education: tau-b: .15610Higher Interest in Politics: tau-b: .20449 Party you voted for in 2004: Kramers V: .15210

Education Level >>> Feelings about Politicians and PartiesANOVA Statistics.

GroupCountMeanStandard DeviationStandard Error95% Confidence Interval for MeanNo post- secondary2401.7917.7911.05111.6911 TO 1.8923Some Post Secondary9131.9025.8086.02681.8500 TO 1.9550Bachelors Degree or More5452.1761.7965.03412.1091 TO 2.2432Totals16981.9747.8145.01981.9359 TO 2.0134

Education Level >>> Feelings about Politicians and PartiesScheffe Test.

No post- secondarySome Post SecondaryBachelors Degree or MoreNo post- secondarySome Post SecondaryBachelors Degree or More**

Party you voted for in 2004>>> Feelings about Politicians and Parties.Scheffe Test

GreenBlocReformAllianceN.D.P.P.C.LiberalsGreenBlocReformAllianceNDPP.C.*Liberals**

Party you voted for in 2004>>> Feelings about Politicians and Parties.Cross TabulationLiberalsP.C.NDPAlliancereformBlocGreenSpoiled BallotTotalsFeelings about Parties and PoliticiansNegative25.7%27.3%33.8%34.8%40.0%46.3%75.0%83.3%408Neutral34.4%43.4%36.4%36.6%30.0%25.6%25.0%16.7%473Positive39.9%29.3%29.8%28.6%30.0%28.1%0%0%452Totals651256151112201211661333

ConclusionsSubstantive ConclusionsNo strong explanatory variablesweak ones: education, incomes, political interest, party affiliationPossible Methodological ConclusionsA. havent found it.B. Need better tools.C. Explanations might be personal, not systematic.

SyntaxSyntax*constructing the index*missing values CPS_I606 (8, 9).missing values CPS_I706 (8, 9).missing values CPS_J606 (8, 9).missing values CPS_G120 (996, 998, 999).missing values CPS_G6 (996 thru 999).missing values CPS_P6 (7, 8, 9).compute feelpart = (CPS_G120/100).compute feelpol = (CPS_G6/100).recode CPS_I606 (7=1) (5=.75) (3=.25) (1=0) into likeme.recode CPS_I706 (7=1) (5=.75) (3=.25) (1=0) into pollie.recode CPS_J106 (7=1) (5=.75) (3=.25) (1=0) into corrup.recode CPS_P6 (1=1) (3=.5) (5=0) into promis.RELIABILITY VARIABLES= promis corrup pollie likeme feelpol feelpart /scale(Feel)= promis corrup pollie likeme feelpol feelpart /summary=All.compute rawindex= promis+corrup+pollie+likeme+feelpol+feelpartrecode rawindex (0 thru 1.75=1)(1.76 thru 2.75=2)(2.76 thru 5.80=3) into feelvalue labels feel 1'low' 2'moderate' 3'high'.Freq var feel*Extremely weak relationships*missing values cps_c6 (8)crosstab tables=feel by cps_c6 /cells = count column/stats=ctau CHISQmissing values cps_p16 (8,9)crosstab tables=feel by cps_p16 /cells = count column/stats=ctau CHISQmissing values cps_s1 ()recode cps_s1 (1902 thru 1955=1) (1956 thru 1970=2) (1971 thru 1986=3) into agevalue labels age 1'old' 2'middle' 3'young'/ranges=scheffe /statistics=all.crosstab tables=feel by age /cells = count column/stats=btau CHISQmissing values CPS_A906 (8)crosstab tables=feel by cps_A906 /cells = count column/stats=btau CHISQmissing values cps_s18 (97)recode cps_s18 (1,2=1) (4 thru 6=2) (8 thru 10=3) into incovalue labels inco 1'little' 2'some' 3'lots'crosstab tables=feel by inco /cells = count column/stats=btau CHISQ*stronger relationships*missing values cps_s3 (98,99)recode cps_s3 (1 thru 4=1) (5 thru 8=2) (9 thru 11=3) into educvalue labels educ 1'little' 2'some' 3'lots'crosstab tables=feel by educ /cells = count column/stats=btau CHISQoneway feel by educ (1,3) /ranges=scheffe /statistics=all.missing values cps_A806 (98)recode cps_A806 (0 thru 4=1) (5 thru 7=2) (8 thru 10=3) into intrvalue labels intr 1'little' 2'some' 3'lots'crosstab tables=feel by intr /cells = count column/stats=btau CHISQoneway feel by intr (1,3) /ranges=scheffe /statistics=all.missing values cps_q6 (0,98,99)recode cps_q6 (10,8=8)crosstab tables=feel by cps_q6 /cells = count column/stats=PHIoneway feel by cps_q6 (1,8)