PUP-3002 Exam #1 Questions with
Complete Solutions
counterfactual - ANSWER--expressing what did not happen
-What would Y be if X had occurred
-hindsight basically
Causal Inference - ANSWER-drawing a conclusion about causal relationships
between various inputs and policy outputs and outcomes
What does a counterfactual have to do with understanding causal inference? -
ANSWER-the fundamental problem of causal inference:
the difficulty that we face in experimental situations where we cannot expose the
same individual to both treatment and control at the exact same moment in time
repetition effect - ANSWER-any change in a subject's performance due to repeating
the experimental condition
What are independent variables? - ANSWER-- variable that is theorized to cause
variation in the dependent variable
-- IV, X
How are independent variables related to dependent variables? Know how to identify
each in a theory or hypothesis. - ANSWER-dependent variable: variable for which at
least some of the variation is theorized to be caused by one or more IVs
-Dependent variable = DV, Y
---the value of the DV *depends* on the value of the IV
---according to our theory, change in the value of the IV causes change in the value
of the DV
What are antecedent and intervening variables? Know how to identify each in a
theory or hypothesis. - ANSWER-- in an indirect effect: X // Z // Y
--X is the antecedent = comes before
--Z is the intervening = comes in between
Law of Supply - ANSWER-as the price of a good increases, the quantity supplied
increases and vice versa
Shortage of supply - ANSWER-the price fixed below equilibrium price
Surplus Supply - ANSWER-the price fixed above equilibrium price
Law of demand - ANSWER-as the price of a good increases, the quantity demanded
decreases and vice versa
, Pareto Efficiency - ANSWER-concept used to describe the relative levels of
performance among alternative states of allocating goods among individuals
--if we change the allocation of goods among individuals and 'no individual is worse
off' and at least one individual is better off, it is Pareto efficient
Kaldor - Hicks criterion - ANSWER-when reallocation goods, if the beneficiaries
collectively gain more than the losers are made worse off, it is efficient.
Market Equilibrium - ANSWER-when the demand of the good is exactly equal to the
supply of the good
Negative Externality - ANSWER-when a market transaction between two parties
harms third party not involved in the transaction. the market is failing to account for a
cost, this "cost" leads to inefficiency
What is a theory? - ANSWER-a tentative conjecture about the causes of some
phenomenon of interest
-a model of the world
-- a set of interconnected statements
--identifies what cause something and why
--good theory:
-causal,
-not driven by data alone,
-empirical,
-non-normative,
-general,
- parsimonious
Parsimonious - ANSWER-to explain much with very few moving parts.
-a ..... theory is simple b/c it does not introduce many assumptions
Generalizable - ANSWER-can produce hypothesis across a broad range of contexts
-can out model of voter turnout be generalized to other contexts?
Where do theories come from? - ANSWER-identifying interesting variation in the DV
-go from general to specific
-learn from previous research
-formal theory
How do we evaluate a theories merit? - ANSWER-by testing our theory in steps:
1) create *causal theory* to explain our phenomenon of interest
2) restate theory as one or more testable *hypotheses*
3) conduct *empirical tests* of our hypotheses
4) *Evaluate our hypotheses* relative to corresponding null hypotheses
5) from results of our hypotheses test, we *evaluate our causal theory*
SHORT VERSION
1. Causal theory
2. Hypothesis
3. Empirical test
Complete Solutions
counterfactual - ANSWER--expressing what did not happen
-What would Y be if X had occurred
-hindsight basically
Causal Inference - ANSWER-drawing a conclusion about causal relationships
between various inputs and policy outputs and outcomes
What does a counterfactual have to do with understanding causal inference? -
ANSWER-the fundamental problem of causal inference:
the difficulty that we face in experimental situations where we cannot expose the
same individual to both treatment and control at the exact same moment in time
repetition effect - ANSWER-any change in a subject's performance due to repeating
the experimental condition
What are independent variables? - ANSWER-- variable that is theorized to cause
variation in the dependent variable
-- IV, X
How are independent variables related to dependent variables? Know how to identify
each in a theory or hypothesis. - ANSWER-dependent variable: variable for which at
least some of the variation is theorized to be caused by one or more IVs
-Dependent variable = DV, Y
---the value of the DV *depends* on the value of the IV
---according to our theory, change in the value of the IV causes change in the value
of the DV
What are antecedent and intervening variables? Know how to identify each in a
theory or hypothesis. - ANSWER-- in an indirect effect: X // Z // Y
--X is the antecedent = comes before
--Z is the intervening = comes in between
Law of Supply - ANSWER-as the price of a good increases, the quantity supplied
increases and vice versa
Shortage of supply - ANSWER-the price fixed below equilibrium price
Surplus Supply - ANSWER-the price fixed above equilibrium price
Law of demand - ANSWER-as the price of a good increases, the quantity demanded
decreases and vice versa
, Pareto Efficiency - ANSWER-concept used to describe the relative levels of
performance among alternative states of allocating goods among individuals
--if we change the allocation of goods among individuals and 'no individual is worse
off' and at least one individual is better off, it is Pareto efficient
Kaldor - Hicks criterion - ANSWER-when reallocation goods, if the beneficiaries
collectively gain more than the losers are made worse off, it is efficient.
Market Equilibrium - ANSWER-when the demand of the good is exactly equal to the
supply of the good
Negative Externality - ANSWER-when a market transaction between two parties
harms third party not involved in the transaction. the market is failing to account for a
cost, this "cost" leads to inefficiency
What is a theory? - ANSWER-a tentative conjecture about the causes of some
phenomenon of interest
-a model of the world
-- a set of interconnected statements
--identifies what cause something and why
--good theory:
-causal,
-not driven by data alone,
-empirical,
-non-normative,
-general,
- parsimonious
Parsimonious - ANSWER-to explain much with very few moving parts.
-a ..... theory is simple b/c it does not introduce many assumptions
Generalizable - ANSWER-can produce hypothesis across a broad range of contexts
-can out model of voter turnout be generalized to other contexts?
Where do theories come from? - ANSWER-identifying interesting variation in the DV
-go from general to specific
-learn from previous research
-formal theory
How do we evaluate a theories merit? - ANSWER-by testing our theory in steps:
1) create *causal theory* to explain our phenomenon of interest
2) restate theory as one or more testable *hypotheses*
3) conduct *empirical tests* of our hypotheses
4) *Evaluate our hypotheses* relative to corresponding null hypotheses
5) from results of our hypotheses test, we *evaluate our causal theory*
SHORT VERSION
1. Causal theory
2. Hypothesis
3. Empirical test
