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Government Longevity Data Analysis

The document outlines an assignment for a Research Methodologies course at the University of Sharjah for Spring 2025, focusing on analyzing a dataset about government longevity. Students are required to perform various regression analyses, create scatterplots, and interpret results using specified R packages and functions. Strict guidelines are provided regarding the format of submissions and the use of AI, with penalties for non-compliance.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
13 views2 pages

Government Longevity Data Analysis

The document outlines an assignment for a Research Methodologies course at the University of Sharjah for Spring 2025, focusing on analyzing a dataset about government longevity. Students are required to perform various regression analyses, create scatterplots, and interpret results using specified R packages and functions. Strict guidelines are provided regarding the format of submissions and the use of AI, with penalties for non-compliance.
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES

SPRING 2025
UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH
DATA ASSIGNMENT 2

Please turn in a Word document (NOT PDF) with the answers to the following questions and
copy and paste your R code into the file. DO NOT USE SCREENSHOTS OF R CODE!!!

You can ONLY use packages, functions, and arguments to functions that I use in the class
materials. If you use and packages, functions, or arguments to functions that are not in
the class materials, you will receive 0 points for that question. Also, if I can determine
that you use AI to provide the answers, you will receive 0 points.

There is no need to create a “fancy” document with things like tables of contents, etc. Just
answer the questions that are asked.

The data set [Link] contains data on how long governments survived in office for 15
countries in the post-war period. The variables are as follows:

durat Duration of the government in months.


polar Polarization index: a measure of support for extremist parties.
fract Fractionalization: an index characterizing the number and size of parties in
parliament such that higher values indicate dispersion into a larger number of
relatively smaller blocs.
format Number of formation attempts.
minority Majority/minority government (0=Majority, 1=Minority).
postelec Post-election formation: whether or not the government was formed
immediately after an election or not (0=Immediately, 1=Delayed).
caretakr Caretaker government: a small subset of governments specifically established
only pending new elections (0=Caretaker, 1= Not Caretaker).

The aim of this assignment is to assess the impact of various factors on the longevity of
governments that have not reached their full term. Those governments that effectively
reached full-term and had to call an election within the year may have survived for much
longer had they been allowed to, so our data-set only includes those that ended before their
time was constitutionally up.

Part 1a (30 points)


Regress durat on each of fract, polar, minority, format, postelec and caretakr separately.
There should be 6 models. Present the regression results in a single table using the stargazer
function.
For each model, provide a brief interpretation of the coefficient, including whether or not the
effect is significant and what the effect is. Which of the 6 independent variable is the best
predictor of duration and how do you know this?

1b: (5 points) Create a scatterplot of duration and polarisation and include the linear fit line.
Be sure to include axis labels.
1c: (5 points) Create a scatterplot of duration and fractionalisation and use different coloured
points for minority and majority govts. No need to include the linear fit line. As always, be
sure to provide axis labels.

Part 2a: (15 points)


Rather than regressing durat on each of fract, polar, minority, format, postelec and caretaker
separately, include all these variables in one multiple regression. Produce a table of results
using stargazer How do these results differ from your conclusions from the bivariate
regressions? Give some possible explanations for these differences.

2b: (5 points ) Make a plot of the coefficients from this regression using the function
coefplot in the package ‘arm’.

2c (6 points) Make an effects plot for polarisation and for caretaker (2 separate graphs). Be
sure to include the partial residuals in the plots and to supply a meaningful title to the plots)

2d (4 points) Make an effects plot for the effect of polarisation for each value of minority.
This should be one plot with 2 parallel lines on it.

2e (8 points) Compute the predicted duration for a minority government that was formed
immediately, is not a caretaker, and has the mean values fract, polar, and format. You need
to show your work here, not just provide the answer.

Common questions

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Bivariate regressions analyze the impact of each independent variable in isolation, which might overlook potential interactions between variables or the combined effect of multiple predictors on the dependent variable. This approach could lead to omitted variable bias if important predictors are not included. In contrast, multiple regression considers all variables simultaneously, allowing for a more comprehensive analysis and the ability to control for other factors. Differences in results may emerge due to multicollinearity or overlapping effects among predictors, affecting the significance and interpretation of the coefficients.

A scatterplot of duration versus polarization provides a visual representation of the relationship between government longevity and political polarization. It helps to identify trends, such as whether higher polarization correlates with shorter or longer durations, and can reveal outliers or patterns that suggest potential data anomalies or variable interactions. Including a linear fit line aids in assessing the direction and strength of the relationship.

Majority and minority governments inherently differ in stability and decision-making power, impacting their vulnerability to political shifts and pressure groups. Minority governments may face greater challenges in passing legislation, leading to shorter durations. Differentiating these types allows for a nuanced analysis of how political factors, such as polarization or fractionalization, affect them differently, which is crucial for understanding the dynamics of government tenure in different contexts.

Fractionalization, as an index indicating party dispersion, can influence government duration by affecting stability and coalitional dynamics. A scatterplot with different colored points for minority and majority governments effectively visualizes this, showing the dispersion and potential differences in duration across government types. Such visualization can highlight whether greater fractionalization correlates with longer or shorter government tenures.

Limitations such as missing data or limited ranges in variables can lead to biased or unreliable regression estimates, affecting the generalizability of the results. Missing data may necessitate the use of imputation or result in reduced sample sizes, weakening statistical power. Limited ranges may prevent detection of relationships or exaggerate extrapolation risks. These constraints necessitate careful interpretation and potential methodological adaptations to ensure valid conclusions.

In a multiple regression model, the coefficients of each predictor represent the unique contribution of that variable to the dependent variable, controlling for the other predictors in the model. This can lead to changes in the significance and magnitude of the coefficients compared to bivariate regressions, where each variable's effect is assessed in isolation. For instance, a variable might appear significant in a bivariate analysis but not in a multiple regression if its effect overlaps with other variables.

Accurately computing predicted government duration involves using the regression equation with coefficients for each predictor, setting specific values for the variables (e.g., minority government status, values at the mean for continuous variables), and ensuring no omitted variable biases. Careful attention needs to be given to the interpretation of categorical variables and interaction terms if present. Detailed specification of each input value aligned with the model parameters is essential to derive accurate predictions.

Choosing a regression function package in R requires considering compatibility with the dataset, the ability to address specific analytical needs (e.g., handling multicollinearity, non-linear relationships), and the package's reliability and community support. Additionally, adhering to guidelines and restrictions set by course materials or research standards is crucial to maintain accuracy and credibility of the results, as stipulated in research assignments.

Partial residual plots are useful in regression analysis as they depict the effect of an independent variable while accounting for the influence of other variables. By including partial residuals, these plots reveal the isolated relationship between a predictor and the dependent variable, helping to identify non-linear patterns or interactions that might not be obvious in the regression output alone. This visualization aids in interpreting the true effect of each variable within the model context.

To determine the best predictor of government duration, one must analyze the regression models and evaluate which independent variable has the most statistically significant coefficient with the largest absolute value, indicating a strong association with the dependent variable. Additionally, looking at the variable with the highest t-statistics and lowest p-values in the regression output can further confirm its predictive power.

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