Recording of webinar on using data in an upper division class now available!

The second in a series of webinars on integrating quantitative data analysis into substantive undergraduate social science courses is available for viewing.

Hosted by ICPSR and the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN), the webinar featured Dr. Rongjun Sun, professor of sociology at Cleveland State University. Jones discussed his tools for helping students measure world income and health inequality. He described his procedures for having his students sort income data in Excel, and calculate the mean incomes and infant mortality rates of the 20 richest and 20 poorest countries in the world.

A video of the presentation is available here (WMV, 45.8 MB), and the accompanying slides are available here (PPT, 125KB).

Persistent URL: http://icpsr.blogspot.com/2012/03/slides-video-from-second-webinar-on.html

Americans Weigh in on the 2010 Health Care Law

March 29^th marks the completion of the final day of the Supreme Court’s health care hearings.  The Court is expected to make its ruling in late June.  In conjunction with the final day of arguments, The New York Times released its polling data on the public’s support and comprehension of the Affordable Care Act and its implications.  The poll finds that 47% of Americans disapprove of the legislation, while 36% approve.  In addition, while the public can only speculate on the outcome of the health care hearings, the American people have specific opinions on how the Supreme Court should handle the case.  26% believe the law should remain intact, 29% favor overturning the individual mandate, and 38% would prefer the Court to find the entire law unconstitutional.  Americans are much more favorable of the law’s specific provisions.  

Aside from the individual mandate (51% of Americans disapprove of the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that Americans purchase health insurance), the majority of Americans support: (1) the Act’s requirement that health insurance companies cover those possessing existing medical conditions, (2) The provision permitting children to remain on their parents’ policies until age 26, and (3) the Affordable Care Act’s attempt to close the prescription drug coverage gap, commonly known as the “doughnut hole.” 

In terms of the personal effects of the 2010 health care law, most Americans believe the legislation will not have much effect on their overall health care benefits or the quality of care they receive, but they do expect their health care costs to increase as a result of the legislation.

Lastly, it appears that many Americans are confused with how the Affordable Care Act will affect them and their families.  48% of the public does not understand the 2,700-page act and the effects it will have on their families, while 47% say they do understand the law.  

Housing Prices Continue to Fall

On March 27^th, Business Insider featured a chart of the Case-Shiller House Price Index.  The index compiles housing prices across twenty of the largest metropolitan areas of America.  An earlier Data in the News post focused on the Case-Shiller House Price Index and how housing prices have continued to fall after reaching a peak in late 2006.  This iteration of the Case-Shiller Index shows that prices have continued to drop.  Just as prices rose drastically beginning in early 1999, the Index shows how they plummeted just as quickly beginning in 2006.  This year, experts predicted an added 3.8% fall by this time of year, and the Case-Shiller Index illustrated a 3.78% decrease – very close to predictions.  Now prices are at levels seen in early 2003, but as Joe Weisenthal of Business Insider notes, “the bottom still hasn’t been hit.”  The index continues to trend downwards, but at a much slower rate than was seen directly after the housing bubble burst in late 2006.

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance On the Decline

Paul Krugman and Reed Abelson, writing with the New York Times, recently highlighted a study displaying the trends within the sources of health insurance for nonelderly Americans.  The study, carried out by the National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR), looked at the form of health insurance coverage for Americans from 2001 to 2010.  The study found that the share of Americans under 65 who receive coverage from Medicaid has risen over 8 percent, up from 9.5 percent in 2001 to 17.6 percent in 2010.  This trend illustrates the paradox of government-sponsored insurance in times of a recession; as people begin to lose their jobs and income, they are more likely to fall under the umbrella of Medicaid.  With the diminishing revenue from income tax, however, the state and federal governments have less funds to support Medicaid.  When a recession hits, more people need Medicaid, but there is less money to fund the program.  The NIHCR data displays this trend, but it also shows the rapidly declining percentage of nonelderly Americans who receive health insurance from their employer.  The share of Americans under 65 who receive employer-sponsored coverage is down from 69.8 percent in 2001 to 53.5 percent in 2010.  This severe drop in employer-sponsored coverage can be attributed to the rise in unemployment over the past decade in conjunction with the decline of employers willing and/or able to provide coverage to employees.  The final notable trend illustrated in the NIHCR study was the growing number of uninsured nonelderly Americans.  The share of Americans under 65 who remain uninsured rose from 14.1 percent in 2001 to 19.5 percent in 2010.  The recession clearly had notable impacts on health insurance coverage, but it will be interesting to see how the recently passed Affordable Care Act, which will not be fully implemented until the beginning of 2015, will affect the NIHCR’s numbers in the future.  In addition, the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (specifically, the individual mandate) is currently under review by the Supreme Court, so the outcome of the case will also have significant implications for health insurance coverage.

Cigarette Smokers Worldwide

A recent post on the Economist’s Graphic Detail blog includes a global map of cigarette smokers in 2010, as reported by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation.  According to the post, cigarette consumption decreased in Western Europe by 26% from 1990 to 2010 but increased by 57% in the Middle East and Africa over the same time period.  Also worth noting is the large disparity between the percentage of males and females that smoke which, according to the post, is largest in China, where 50% of men smoke but only 2% of women smoke.

Air Pollution in Beijing Decreasing

A recent Economist article discusses the decrease in air pollution and uncharacteristically blue skies in Beijing as a result of more stringent traffic regulations enforced between February 28^th and March 17^th.  A chart included in the article includes data from the US Embassy in Beijing’s air quality monitor and shows the daily air quality index for this month.  The air quality ranges from 0 to 500 with 500 being “most hazardous” and 0-50 being “good.”  As the chart indicates, the air quality index peaked around 300, “hazardous,” at the beginning of the month and around the 16^th and 17^th but was below 200 for most of the interim.  According to the article, the more stringent traffic controls were in effect for the convening of the National People’s Congress from March 5-14^th but are no longer in place.

Join us for a Webinar on March 29, 2 pm EDT!

Integrating Quantitative Data Analysis into Substantive Undergraduate Social Science Courses, Part 2 with Dr. Rongjun Sun, Associate Professor of Sociology at Cleveland State University.

 Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/592504730

On Thursday, March 29, 2012, at 2 pm, EDT, ICPSR and SSDAN will host the second webinar in a series aimed at integrating quantitative data analysis into substantive undergraduate social sciences courses. This webinar will feature, Dr. Rongjun Sun, Associate Professor of Sociology at Cleveland State University, who will discuss how he challenges his students in "Globalization," an upper-level elective course, to use Excel and easily accessible data resources to define and describe the wealth and health gap that exists between rich and poor countries today.

Participants will learn how Dr. Sun successfully leads his students through the investigation of topics related to globalization using quantitative data and methods. In addition to promoting a deeper understanding of the content, students taught with these methods improve critical thinking skills and develop a greater appreciation of the social sciences. Viewers will also learn where they can access some of Dr. Sun's teaching materials to adapt for their own use.

Title: Integrating Quantitative Data Analysis into Substantive Undergraduate Social Science Courses, Part 2

Date: Thursday, March 29, 2012

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

Congress' Approval Ratings Remain Low

Gallup reports that Americans continue to retain an unfavorable view of Congress.  Congress’ approval rating is 12%, up from an all-time low of 10% in February, but remaining at 15% or less since last August.  Americans’ unfavorable view of Congress is even more apparent when taking into account that 82% now disapprove of Congress.  In addition, Gallup also notes that while in the past, party differences could be seen in Congress’ approval ratings, today, both Republicans and Democrats view Congress with a similarly unenthusiastic 12% approval rating.  

Obesity a Continuing Problem for Metropolitan Areas

Despite the public campaigns meant to encourage healthy living styles, obesity rates remain high. Gallup reports that 187 out of 190 metropolitan areas had obesity rates higher than 15% for adults. 38.8% of adults sampled in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX were reported as being obese, which is about 12 points higher than the national average of 26.1%. Boulder, CO reported the lowest adult obesity rate with 12.1%. In less surprising data, those living in areas with the highest obesity rates were more likely to suffer from various illnesses, such as diabetes and depression. Additionally, those living in the top 10 metro areas with the highest obesity rates also collectively paid roughly $1 billion more in healthcare costs than their counterparts living in cities where obesity rates were 15%.

Corruption Costs Illinois $500 Million a Year

The Economist recently highlighted a report published by the University of Illinois at Chicago in which corruption amongst American states is more closely examined.  The Economist’s daily chart displays the number of public corruption convictions from 1976 to 2010.  This analysis of public corruption comes just days after Rod Blagojevich began his 14-year prison sentence on March 15^th. The former governor of Illinois was impeached and removed from office for attempting to sell Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat (amongst other charges) in early 2009.  The corruption report displays convictions per 10,000 population.  Louisiana leads all states with a rate of 2 appointees and government employees convicted per 10,000 of the state’s total population, followed by Illinois at 1.4, New York at 1.3, and Pennsylvania at just over 1.2 convictions per 10,000.  New York had the most convictions, at 2,522, followed closely by California with 2,345.  The District of Columbia has convicted public officials due to corruption at a rate of 16.7 per 10,000 of the population since 1976, but this figure is exaggerated due to the fact that the Jusitice Department and other federal agencies often try corruption cases regardless of where the crimes were committed.  The report also estimates that corruption costs Illinois $500 million a year, which is just over 2% of the state’s FY2013 budget, and more than the $425 million in spending cuts enacted by Governor Pat Quinn for the coming year.

Teens Turn to Text Messages as Dominant Form of Communication

On Monday, the Pew Research Center released a report which monitors texting frequency among teenagers. The report finds that teenagers utilize texting as their most dominant form of communication. 68% of teens send more than 20 texts each day, 30% send more than 100 texts a day, and 18% send more than 200 texts each day. The median text user sends 60 texts a day. This figure rose from 50 texts in 2009.  On the other hand, the frequency that teens talk on the cell phone or on a landline has dropped.  Just 14% of teens say they talk to their friends on a landline, down from 30% in 2009.  26% of teens call friends on their cell phones, down from 38% in 2009.  Incidentally, Pew finds that those who send the greatest number of texts also converse on the phone the most. Additionally, smartphone ownership is also on the rise among teens. 23% of those aged 12-17 use smartphones, but after trimming down the age group to just those aged 14-17, that percentage rises to 31%. The full report contains the demographics of cell phone usage among teens.

Hispanics Represent Sizable Proportion of Labor Force Growth

The Pew Research Center reports that from 2010 to 2020, Hispanics are predicted to add 7.7 million jobs to the labor force.  This figure will account for 74% of the 10.5 million jobs expected to be added in total.  From 1990-2000, Hispanics added 36 percent of jobs to the workforce.  This percent jumped to 54 percent in the most recent decade of 2000-2010.  There are a couple factors involved in the high, and growing percentage of Hispanics added to the workforce.  Hispanics are growing in numbers due to a high birth rate and immigration.  On the other hand, the aging of non-Hispanic whites is predicted to diminish their numbers in the workforce.  In addition, a slightly higher percent of Hispanics, 67.5 percent, is actively searching for a job or is employed, compared to the national average of 64.7 percent.  Pew also notes that Hispanics are younger than other ethnicities, so their substantial contribution to the labor force should be expected to persist.

Recording of Today's Webinar Available Now!

Webinar on integrating data analysis into undergraduate courses available for viewing

The first in a series of webinars on integrating quantitative data analysis into substantive undergraduate social science courses is available for viewing.

Hosted by ICPSR and the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN), the webinar featured Dr. Jim Jones, professor emeritus of sociology at Mississippi State University. Jones discussed how he has helped students in his introductory-level courses become familiar with data analysis using U.S. census data and simple analytical tools.

Jones described how he encourages students to tap their sociological imaginations through the investigation of quantitative social data. In addition to promoting a deeper understanding of the content, students taught with these methods improve critical thinking skills and develop a greater appreciation for the social sciences. Webinar viewers will also learn how to access some of Jones' teaching materials to adapt for their own use.

A video of the presentation is available here (WMV, 44.8 MB), and the accompanying slides are available here (PPTX, 145KB).

Persistent URL: http://icpsr.blogspot.com/2012/03/webinar-on-integrating-data-analysis_15.html

World's Nuclear Power Producers

The Economist’s Graphic Detail blog post earlier this week highlighted their nuclear energy interactive guide, which shows the nuclear electricity production, number of operational reactors, and the metric tons of uranium required for nuclear production of 30 countries currently using nuclear power.  According to the map, the US produces by far the largest amount of nuclear power at about 800 terawatt hours (TWh), with France following at a little over 400 TWh and Japan at 280 TWh. (It is important to note that this data was produced before the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011, which has led to a shutdown of almost all of Japan's nuclear reactors.)

However, the map showing nuclear electricity as a percentage of total production shows the U.S. produces a relatively small proportion of their electricity through nuclear power (just under 20%).  France’s nuclear power makes up the largest percentage of their total electricity at 74.1%, followed by Slovakia at 51.8% and Belgium at 51.2%.    

Female Economic Advancement

The Economist's recent Graphic Detail post "Where to Be Female" discusses the results of the annual Women’s Economic Opportunity Index recently published by the Economist Intelligence Unit.  According to the report published by the Economist Intelligence Unit, "women are a key driver of economic growth" as their entry into the workforce has coincided with GDP growth in both the United States and Europe, yet "nearly one-half of working women are not currently active in the formal global economy."  The Women’s Economic Opportunity Index seeks to assess women's entry into the workforce and economic advancement using data released by a variety of major international organizations, including the United Nations and International Monetary Fund.  The Index ranges from 0 to 100 (100 being most favorable) and ranks 128 different countries.  As the chart from the Economist’s website shows (below), Sweden received the most favorable ranking of 90.4, followed by Norway and Finland at 88.3 and 88.2 respectively.  The United States was ranked 14^th at 78.4, only slightly below the United Kingdom, which was ranked 13^th at 78.9.  Sudan and Chad received the worse ranking (128^th and 127^th) with scores of 19.2 and 23.3 respectively.

Unemployment By Industry

In one of the New York Time’s Economix blog posts, Motoko Rich discusses changes in the unemployment rate by industry from February 2011 to February 2012, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  While unemployment remained relatively unchanged at 8.3 percent in February “mainly because more people started – or resumed – looking for work,” the data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows quite a bit of variability in unemployment between industries.  For example, as the table from the Bureau of Labor Statistics above shows, construction experienced a 4.7% decrease (from 21.8 % to 17.1%). Agriculture; information; and mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction all saw increases in unemployment of 1.1%, 1.7% and 1.6% respectively.  In addition to changes in unemployment rate, the rates themselves also vary widely; agricultural workers experienced an unemployment rate of 19.5% while government workers experienced only 3.9% unemployment.

GDP Growth Predictions Indicate Sluggish Recovery, but Possible Return to Form In 2013 For Some Economies

Each month, The Economist asks a group of renowned economists to forecast GDP growth in 2012 and 2013.  Of the fourteen countries/regions considered in the March poll (one of which is the entire Euro area), Japan is the only nation expected to have a higher GDP growth in ’12 than in ’13.  This discrepancy is due to massive spending on earthquake-related reconstruction, as well as the government’s new policy of subsidizing energy-efficient cars.  Australia is predicted to have the highest GDP growth of all the countries, topping off at a 3.1% increase in 2012, and a 3.3% increase in 2013.  Italy and Spain performed the worst in the poll, due to great uncertainty regarding both countries’ financial stability.  Economists predict that the United States will have a 2.1% GDP growth rate in 2012, and a slightly higher 2.2% rate in 2013.  The Euro area is expected to endure negative GDP growth in the current year, with an average prediction of -0.6% change.  While it seems that the polled economists view the world to be on its way to recovery, they still view it to be an uphill battle.  The sluggish rebound from the Great Recession is characterized by the 1.4% average growth predicted in 2012, but the picture does look brighter in 2013.  The averages point to a return to form for many of the major economies around the world in 2013; however, other countries such as Italy, Spain and France are expected to remain hindered by the recession and its wide-ranging effects.   

Dealing With the Costs of Health Care in America

MSNBC recently covered the National Center for Health Statistic's (NCHS) report on the financial burden of health care.  The NCHS questioned Americans on how easily they were able to pay medical bills from January to June of 2011.  The estimates show that one in five Americans live in a family that is having problems paying medical bills in the past 12 months.  One in ten Americans are in a family that has medical bills that they are not able to pay.  Also, just over a quarter of Americans live in a family that has medical bills that are being paid over time.  Lastly, one in three Americans lives in a family that is experiencing some kind of financial burden due to medical costs. The full report investigates how various demographics are dealing with medical bills.  The most notable stat within these demographics is the fact that those in the 0-17 age group have the highest probability of experiencing some sort of financial burden stemming from health care bills.  With Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act still in the process of being integrated into the health care system, it will be interesting to see how these numbers may or may not be affected. 

Join us for a Webinar on March 15, 2 pm EDT!

Integrating Quantitative Data Analysis into Substantive Undergraduate Social Science Courses with Dr. Jim Jones, Professor of Sociology Emeritus at Mississippi State University
 
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/521304618

On March 15th at 2PM EDT, ICPSR with SSDAN will host the first webinar in a series aimed at integrating quantitative data analysis into substantive undergraduate social science courses. This first webinar features Dr. Jim Jones, Professor of Sociology Emeritus at Mississippi State University, who will discuss how he has introduced students in his introductory courses to data analysis using US census data and simple analytical tools.

Participants will learn how Dr. Jones encourages students to tap their sociological imagination through the investigation of quantitative social data. In addition to promoting a deeper understanding of the content, students taught with these methods improve critical thinking skills and develop a greater appreciation for the social sciences. Viewers will also learn where they can access some of Dr. Jones' relevant teaching materials to adapt for their own use.

Date:	Thursday, March 15, 2012
Time:	2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

Space is limited.

Case-Shiller Index: Housing Prices Decline

The New York Times has gathered data from the Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller index, which charts prices from 20 major cities across the U.S., to examine how home prices have changed recently. Prices peaked in mid-2006 and soon began their precipitous downturn.  April of 2009 marks the month when home prices appeared to bottom out and commence a sluggish recovery; however, recent data suggests that home prices have actually fallen below this previous low point.

Markets in the 20 metropolitan areas that the index covers have seen prices drop 1.8 percent since April 2009 and 4.0 percent from the beginning to the end of 2011.  Cities like Charlotte, Portland, Seattle and Atlanta where housing prices peaked later – 2007 as opposed to mid-2006 – have experienced the greatest decline.  San Francisco, Detroit, Boston and other housing markets that peaked prematurely in late 2005 to early 2006 have seen prices increase or only slightly decrease since April 2009.  The relationship between when the high point occurred and the change in prices since April 2009 stems from the length of time needed for the markets to self-correct.   For instance in Seattle, where the market peaked in July of 2007, prices are still dropping to realign with income levels in the region.  Of the twenty metropolitan areas, the Las Vegas market has seen the steepest decline in prices, dropping 19.3% since April 2009.  San Francisco, on the other hand, where the market peaked early in 2006, has actually experienced an 8.7 percent increase in housing prices.  

Length of Tenure of Leaders Around the World

Gallup has released a graphic displaying the staying power of leaders in countries across the globe.  The data investigates how long individual leaders have remained in power on a country-by-country basis since 1945.  Countries in North America, South America, and Europe all had the greatest turnover rates of leaders.  On the other hand, the Middle East had the least number of changes in leadership; leaders averaged over eight years in power.  This region was followed closely by Africa, which has an average of more than seven years.  Leadership in a number of countries in Asia have also enjoyed longer staying power.  Oman has seen the least number of leaders, with only two since 1945.  

US Smartphone Ownership Increases

On March 1^st, Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project published a report comparing smartphone ownership among US adults from May 2011 to February 2012.  The data show an 11 percent increase in smartphone ownership, from 35 percent in May 2011 to 46 percent in February 2012.   The results also show that more US adults own smartphones than adults who own a non-smartphone cell phone.  In addition, the Pew Research Center reports that Android devices comprise 20 percent of the US cell phone market share, followed closely by iPhones with 19 percent, and Blackberries with 6 percent.  The full report details ownership among specific demographics.

Hawaii Ranks First In Well-Being Index

Gallup recently released the 2011 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index scores for each of the fifty states.  Gallup gathered the data through surveys conducted daily from January to December of 2011.  The data are based on six sub-indices spanning from work environment to physical condition to emotional health.  Altogether, these sub-indices comprise the Well-Being Index, which is calculated on a 0 to 100 scale.  In 2011, the nation’s Well-Being Index was 66.2, down from 66.8 in 2010 and the lowest score since the study began in 2008.  The five states with the highest scores were Hawaii, North Dakota, Minnesota, Utah, and Alaska, in that order, while Ohio, Delaware, Mississippi, Kentucky, and West Virginia marked the five states with the lowest well-being scores.  Nine of the top ten states were located in the West or the Midwest, while Southern states accounted for five of the ten states with the lowest scores.  Alaskans were the most likely to rate their lives as “thriving,” giving the state the highest score in the Life Evaluation Index in the nation.  Massachusetts led the way in the Basic Access sub-index with a score of 86.6, indicating that the state’s residents have the greatest access to items essential to wellbeing, like food, medicine, shelter, a secure environment in which to exercise, and satisfaction with one’s community.  On the other end of this metric was Mississippi, scoring 77.6 and ranking last in Basic Access for the second straight year.  Hawaii’s residents performed the best in the Healthy Behaviors sub-index with a score of 68.9, meaning that Hawaiians have good eating and exercise habits, while also maintaining low smoking rates.  

The Growth of Russia's Middle Class

The Economist recently investigated the growth of Russia’s middle class in its March 2^nd daily chart.  The data inspected various characteristics of the Russian middle class throughout the first decade of the 21^st century.  The size of the middle class grew from 15% to 25% of the population, and GDP per person grew about $9,000 (growing approximately 133%).  Additionally, Internet users grew from less than 50 per 1000 persons to over 450 per 1000.  Lastly, the middle class has engaged in more tourism, with tourist travel abroad more than doubling.  Of future interest will be the potential growth of the middle class throughout the current decade and how the new leadership (elections take place this coming Sunday) may affect this data.