Statistics Homework Help!
Statistics Question
Political Contributions: Listed below are contributions (in dollars) made to the two presidential candidates in a recent election. All contributions are from the same zip code as the author, and the data are from the Huffington Post. Do the contributions appear to favor either candidate? What do you conclude after learning that there were 66 contributions to Obama and 20 contributions to McCain?
McCain:
50
75
240
305
250
700
350
500
1250
1500
500
500
40
221
400
Obama:
275
452
300
1000
1000
500
100
1061
1200
235
875
2000
350
210
25
To determine whether the contributions appear to favor either candidate, you can analyze the data using several statistical measures. One approach is to compute the average (mean) contribution for each candidate and then compare them.
To find the average contribution for each candidate:
1. Add up all the contributions for each candidate separately.
- For McCain: 50 + 75 + 240 + 305 + 250 + 700 + 350 + 500 + 1250 + 1500 + 500 + 500 + 40 + 221 + 400 = _____
- For Obama: 275 + 452 + 300 + 1000 + 1000 + 500 + 100 + 1061 + 1200 + 235 + 875 + 2000 + 350 + 210 + 25 = ______
2. Divide each total by the number of contributions to find the mean/average contribution.
- For McCain: _____ / 15 = _____
- For Obama: ______ / 15 = ______
After finding the average contribution for each candidate, you can compare the values. If one candidate has a significantly higher average contribution compared to the other, it may indicate a favor toward that candidate. However, it's essential to consider other factors, such as the total number of contributions and the contribution amounts.
Additionally, you can explore other statistical measures, such as the median or the mode, to gain more insight into the contributions. These measures help identify the central tendency and the most frequent values, respectively.
For further analysis, you can also plot a histogram or a boxplot to visualize the distribution of contributions for each candidate. This can provide a clearer picture of the spread and any patterns in the data.
Based on the information provided, you mention that there were 66 contributions to Obama and 20 contributions to McCain. These numbers alone do not give a complete picture of which candidate the contributions favor. The average contributions computed above will provide a better understanding.