Why let other people explain the world to you?

From news reporting on elections or unfolding political crises to everyday advertising, you are confronted with statistics. Rather than being swayed by bad arguments and questionable correlations, this book introduces you to the most common and contemporary statistical methods so that you can better understand the world. It′s not about mindless number crunching or flashy techniques but about knowing when to use statistics as the best means to analyse a problem. 

Whether you want to answer:

"Who is most likely to turn out and vote at the next election?"

or

"What accounts for some political conflicts escalating to war?"

you’ll explore what can and can’t be done with statistics, and how to select the most appropriate statistical techniques and correctly interpret the results.

Perhaps you simply want to understand enough to pass your statistics class and move on. Maybe you want to build your knowledge so that you are not excluded from research and debate. Or it could be the first step towards more advanced study. Whatever your goal, this book guides you through the journey, empowering you to confidently interact with statistics to make you a more formidable student, employee, and democratic citizen.

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This book was fundamental for me for a very simple reason: without it, I would not have been able to write the thesis I had in mind. During my study abroad period in Erasmus, I was introduced to statistics for the first time. It was then that I decided to write a thesis on statistical research. However, I soon realized that I lacked essential knowledge and would need to take a crash course in statistics to conduct my research. Luckily, someone recommended Professor Loveless′ book, which turned out to be my salvation. The text is written in simple language and explains all concepts in a very clear and comprehensible way, even those that may be less intuitive. At first, I was unsure if I would be able to understand certain analyses and interpret results, given my background in philosophy and upcoming master′s degree in international relations. This book has helped me navigate topics that I never thought I could understand. It is written in a way that is easy for students to understand, with practical examples from everyday life. I particularly appreciated that the text made all topics accessible and relatable.

In summary, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in approaching statistics and understanding its fascinating and practical applications, regardless of their academic background. Readers will be amazed by how much they can learn, even if they never thought it possible.

"

As someone who has been doing statistics for political science for a few years now, I want to tell you about a textbook that has really helped take my quantitative skills to the next level - Political Analysis by Matthew Loveless. 

"

Dr Matt Loveless single handedly taught me the skills I needed to become a quantitative researcher and to make me truly understand political science, data and statistics. As I read this book, I can hear his clear explanations, concise language and entertaining illustrations which allowed me to get my head around all aspects of political science. He draws upon the depth, breadth and wealth of experience as a teacher to make sense of statistics.