The Essentials of Political Analysis

by Philip H. Pollock III

A clear, user-friendly methods text that students actually enjoy using the course students love to hate. Whether because of anxiety about maths and statistics, or the expectation that the subject will be dull, many students find that learning the tools of political analysis is an ordeal. Philip Pollock relieves the burden with a two-part put students at ease with a conversational writing style and get them working with actual data as soon as possible. Brief and user-friendly, The Essentials of Political Analysis provides a strong conceptual foundation for methods students. It walks them through the basics - measuring concepts, formulating and testing hypotheses, describing variables - and prepares them to apply what they learn immediately on the computer. The author hooks students with interesting, real-world case material, and his animated and accessible language gets students comfortable with key terms and concepts. Chapter-opening objectives cue students to learning goals, 80 tables and figures enhance important textual material, while classtested chapter exercises promote skill application and aid student review. This approach helps students master concepts and analyze results with relevant examples and easy-to-use canned data sets. The outcome? Low intimidation and effective results. The combination of The Essentials of Political Analysis and An SPSS Companion to Political Analysis offers the most accessible, comprehensive way for students to master methods material and get comfortable using SPSS.

Genres: Politics, Political Science, Nonfiction, School, Grad School, Research

186 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2002

Reviews

[J. Tayler Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a textbook on statistics. What more can I say? I may keep it as a tool to use in the future, but unless you’re going into research and statistics this book is uninteresting and difficult to understand.

[Cody Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a textbook. I don't know what anyone's expecting but it is neither thrilling nor well edited. It covers everything its supposed to and that gives it a second star, but it can only go higher if you need something to put you to sleep.

[Tiffeni Russo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to Stata and statistics

Any political science student should consider this book is important part of their arsenal when computing data in Stata programming

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dry.

[Kw Estes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be difficult to write this book in a more sensible way, and there really does not seem to be any certain linear way in which to teach this material. Uses good, compelling examples and does well to try and explain rather challenging concepts to the reader in simple words. Of course, there is still the issue of whether or not the entirely empirical and positivist framework that such a book espouses is really the end-all-and-be-all of how we should examine politics. Such a framework seems to me rather dehumanizing and allows little room for intricacies and details. Also, distances the researcher too greatly from work.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book conveys in a very short book, a standard toolbox of basic statistical methods for political scientists. It has some good examples in it. The downside is that there isn't enough math and there is a glaring omission: analysis of residuals to assess model adequacy. Personally, I would supplement this book with a standard text in descriptive statistics and Montgomery and Peck's Introduction to Linear Regression Analysis (one of my favorite texts on statistics because it has just enough math to be relevant to the practitioner while still being a very thorough treatment).

[Pippah Getchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical text for beginning grad students in political science who are getting ready to choose their research thesis topic. Especially helpful with the corresponding SPSS workbook - and the workbook is excellent.

[Katie Holem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Helped me understand my Scopes and Methods class.

[Dami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for my Research Methods and Analysis class! This book was very helpful in my research methods course it worked well for class, I actually kinda liked it.

[Radwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful book to understand the foundations of statistical analysis in political (and social research).