Michael P. McDonald – författare

At last—a social scientist's guide through the pitfalls of modern statistical computing Addressing the current deficiency in the literature on statistical methods as they apply to the social and behavioral sciences, Numerical Issues in Statistical Computing for the Social Scientist seeks to provide readers with a unique practical guidebook to the numerical methods underlying computerized statistical calculations specific to these fields. The authors demonstrate that knowledge of these numerical methods and how they are used in statistical packages is essential for making accurate inferences. With the aid of key contributors from both the social and behavioral sciences, the authors have assembled a rich set of interrelated chapters designed to guide empirical social scientists through the potential minefield of modern statistical computing.Uniquely accessible and abounding in modern-day tools, tricks, and advice, the text successfully bridges the gap between the current level of social science methodology and the more sophisticated technical coverage usually associated with the statistical field.Highlights include: A focus on problems occurring in maximum likelihood estimationIntegrated examples of statistical computing (using software packages such as the SAS, Gauss, Splus, R, Stata, LIMDEP, SPSS, WinBUGS, and MATLAB®)A guide to choosing accurate statistical packagesDiscussions of a multitude of computationally intensive statistical approaches such as ecological inference, Markov chain Monte Carlo, and spatial regression analysisEmphasis on specific numerical problems, statistical procedures, and their applications in the fieldReplications and re-analysis of published social science research, using innovative numerical methodsKey numerical estimation issues along with the means of avoiding common pitfallsA related Web site includes test data for use in demonstrating numerical problems, code for applying the original methods described in the book, and an online bibliography of Web resources for the statistical computationDesigned as an independent research tool, a professional reference, or a classroom supplement, the book presents a well-thought-out treatment of a complex and multifaceted field.

A Brookings Institution Press and Cato Institute publicationSince 1998, U.S. House incumbents have won a staggering 98 percent of their reelection races. Electoral competition has also declined in some state and primary elections. The Marketplace for Democracy combines the resources of two eminent research organizations—Brookings and the Cato Institute—to address several important questions about our democratic system. How pervasive is the lack of competition in arenas only previously speculated on, such as state legislative contests and congressional primaries? What have previous reform efforts, such as direct primaries and term limits, had on electoral competition? What are the effects of redistricting and campaign finance regulation? What role do third parties play? In sum, what does all this tell us about what might be done to increase electoral competition?The authors, including a number of today's most important scholars in American politics, consider the historical development, legal background, and political aspects of a system that is supposed to be responsive and accountable yet for many is becoming stagnant, self-perpetuating, and tone-deaf. How did we get to this point, and what—if anything—should be done about it?Elections are the vehicles through which Americans choose who governs them, and the power of the ballot is still the best lever ordinary citizens have in keeping public officials accountable. The Marketplace of Democracy considers different policy options for increasing the competition needed to keep American politics vibrant, responsive, and democratic.Contributors include Stephen Ansolabehere (MIT), William D. Berry (Florida State University), Bruce Cain (University of California–Berkeley), Thomas Carsey (Florida State University) James Gimpel (University of Maryland) John Hanley (UC–Berkeley), John Mark Hansen (University of Chicago), Paul S. Herrnson (University of Maryland) Gary Jacobson (University of California–San Diego) Thad Kousser (UC–San Diego), Frances Lee (Univer

The Laurence and Lynne Brown Democracy Medal is an initiative of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Pennsylvania State University. It annually recognizes outstanding individuals, groups, and organizations that produce exceptional innovations to further democracy in the United States or around the world.Micah Altman and Michael P. McDonald unveil the Public Mapping Project, which developed DistrictBuilder, an open-source software redistricting application designed to give the public transparent, accessible, and easy-to-use online mapping tools. As they show, the goal is for all citizens to have access to the same information that legislators use when drawing congressional maps—and use that data to create maps of their own.Thanks to generous funding from The Pennsylvania State University, the ebook editions of this book are available as Open Access volumes from Cornell Open (cornellpress.cornell.edu/cornell-open) and other repositories.

From Pandemic to Insurrection: Voting in the 2020 US Presidential Election describes voting in the 2020 election, from the presidential nomination to new voting laws post-election. Election officials and voters navigated the challenging pandemic to hold the highest turnout election since 1900. President Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge the pandemic’s severity coupled with frequent vote fraud accusations affected how states provided safe voting, how voters cast ballots, how lawyers fought legal battles, and ultimately led to an unsuccessful insurrection.