21. Nownes (2000) surveyed representatives of interest groups who were registered
as lobbyists of three U.S. state legislatures. One of the issues he studied was
whether interest groups are in competition with each other. Table 1–10 shows
the results for one such question. (a) Using this table as an example, explain the
idea of a frequency table to a person who has never had a course in statistics.
(b) Explain the general meaning of the pattern of results.
(a) A frequency table is a way of organizing and presenting data in a systematic manner. It provides a summary of how many times each value or category occurs within a dataset. The table consists of two columns. The first column represents the different values or categories being analyzed, while the second column displays the frequency or count of each value/category.
To illustrate this, let's take a look at Table 1-10. In this table, we have one particular question being studied regarding whether interest groups are in competition with each other. The first column might contain the different responses or options people could choose from, such as "Yes," "No," or "Undecided." The second column would then indicate how many respondents chose each option. For instance, if we have 50 respondents, the frequency table might show that 20 respondents chose "Yes," 15 respondents chose "No," and 15 respondents were "Undecided."
By organizing the responses in this manner, the frequency table allows us to see the distribution of responses and identify any patterns or trends within the data more easily.
(b) The general meaning of the pattern of results in this specific frequency table would require more context and information. Without the specific details of the table you mentioned (Table 1-10), it is difficult to provide a precise interpretation of the pattern.
However, in general, when analyzing a frequency table, you would typically assess the most frequently occurring categories or values, as well as any outliers or extreme values. By examining the frequencies, you can identify the most common or dominant response, as well as any variations or deviations from the majority.
For example, if in Table 1-10 the "Yes" response has the highest frequency, it suggests that a significant portion of the interest group representatives surveyed believe that interest groups are in competition with each other. On the other hand, if the "No" response has the highest frequency, it would indicate a contrary belief that interest groups are not in competition.
By carefully analyzing the pattern of frequencies, you can draw insights and conclusions about the data and make informed interpretations. However, for a more precise analysis, it would be necessary to have access to the actual frequency table you mentioned.