Population and samples
Chapter 37 of the CLEP American Government study guide on Effortless Math covers Population and samples: the key terms, the core ideas, and worked examples showing how this topic is tested on the exam.
CLEP American Government, Chapter 37
Population and samples
In polling, the population is the full group a researcher wants to understand. A sample is the smaller group selected for observation. If the question concerns eligible voters in Ohio, adults nationwide are the wrong population and people who happen to visit a campaign website are a poor substitute for a sample. Clear labels prevent a statistic from quietly changing its meaning.
The sampling frame is the practical list or system used to reach possible participants, such as residential addresses, telephone numbers, or a voter file. A frame can omit part of the population. The selected sample can shrink again when some people cannot be contacted or refuse. A careful report lets you trace the path from target population to frame, selected cases, completed interviews, and weighted estimate.
A population value is often called a parameter, while the value calculated from a sample is a statistic. Researchers use the statistic to estimate the parameter. That inference is credible only when selection, coverage, response, and adjustment support it. A sample does not need to include everyone, but it must give the intended population a fair and explainable route into the evidence.
Video lesson: Science Behind the News: Opinion Polls & Random Sampling
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