Member
ANES CPS Total Animal Rights Aircraft Over DC Re-entry Documents Toxic Chemicals Subgroup Total Yes Count 445 95 540 13 33 19 30 95 Percent 41.80% 67.40% 44.80% 50.00% 91.70% 48.70% 75.00% 67.40% No Count 620 46 666 13 3 20 10 46 Percent 58.20% 32.60% 55.20% 50.00% 8.30% 51.30% 25.00% 32.60% Total Count 1065 141 1206 26 36 39 40 141 Percent 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
However, a look at the CPS issue groups reveals a more complex relationship between organization membership and N&C participation. The results of cross-
tabulation of organization membership by CPS subgroup demonstrates higher levels of association membership for all CPS subgroups than for the ANES sample. However, there is substantial variation among the CPS subgroups. The Aircraft Over DC subgroup is almost twice as likely as the Re-entry Documents subgroup to belong to non-religious associations. The results of chi-square testing presented in Table B.7b in Appendix B indicates that the differences between observed and expected counts for the CPS subgroups are statistically significant. This indicates that the role of associations in driving N&C participation, while an important factor in all types of proposed rules, is more important in some areas than others. But, since the CPS rates are consistently above the ANES rate of membership, these significant differences do not challenge support for Hypothesis 7.
The next hypothesis expands the investigation of the role of associations in the N&C comment process. Hypothesis 8 states that CPS respondents who belong to non- religious associations belong to more such organizations than do members of the general public. Table 4.8 below presents group statistics for number of organizations. As
hypothesized, the mean for number of organizations is higher for the CPS sample than for the ANES sample. N&C participants who belong to non-religious organizations belong to half again as many such organizations as the general public.
Table 4.8
Means for Number of Organizations
Group/Subgroup Number Mean
Standard Deviation Standard Error ANES 445 2.13 1.55 0.007 CPS 95 3.46 3.89 0.4 Animal Rights 13 2.54 1.15 0.42 Aircraft Over DC 33 2.82 1.42 0.25 Re-entry Documents 19 2.68 1.38 0.32 Toxic Chemicals 30 5.07 6.39 1.17 Total 95 3.46 3.89 0.4
An independent samples t-test for the number of organizations, displayed in Table B.8a in Appendix B, reveals a violation of the homogeneity of variance assumption. The t-statistic when equal variances are not assumed is significant at the .001 level. These test results support the hypothesis that CPS respondents who belong to non-religious organizations belong to more of such organizations than ANES respondents.
Looking next to the CPS subgroups, the mean for the Toxic Chemical subgroup appears to be out of line with the others and is nearly twice the mean of the less active Animal Rights issue group. However, an analysis of variance presented in Table B.8b indicates that the differences in subgroup means narrowly fail to achieve statistical significance. The relative homogeneity of CPS subgroups reinforces support for Hypothesis 8. Across a range of issue groups, participants in the notice and comment process who belong to non-religious organization belong to more of those associations than does the general public.
Sources of Information
Table 4.9
Means for Number of Days Watched National News
Standard
Deviation
Standard Error Group/Subgroup Number Mean
ANES 1210 3.58 2.76 0.008 CPS 140 4.12 2.71 0.23 Animal Rights 26 4.19 2.74 0.54 Aircraft Over DC 36 4.00 2.67 0.45 Re-entry Documents 39 4.95 2.42 0.39 Toxic Chemicals 39 3.36 2.87 0.46
The next set of hypotheses examines the relationship between participation in the N&C process and use of various information sources. It is generally anticipated that political participants are better informed than non-participants. Hypothesis 9 states that CPS respondents watch national news on television more frequently than the general public. Respondents to both surveys were asked the number of days in the week that they watched national news programs. Since the data are continuous, group statistics for the means are presented in Table 4.9 above. The mean for the CPS sample is about thirteen percent higher than that for the ANES sample. The results of an independent samples t- test are presented in Table B.9a in Appendix B reveals that the assumption of equal variances is not supported. However, the t-statistic for equal variances not assumed is significant at the .05 level. This supports Hypothesis 9.
CPS subgroup means reveal that the Re-entry Documents subgroup watches televised national news considerably more frequently than the Toxic Chemical subgroup.
However, an analysis of variance presented in Table B.9b indicates that the differences in means fail to achieve statistical significance. The consistency of findings across a range of subgroups supports the hypothesis that N&C participants watch national news on television more than does the general public.
Along the same lines, the next hypothesis states that CPS respondents watch local news on television more frequently than the general public. Group statistics displayed on the following page in Table 4.10 indicate that there is a difference in means, but the direction of difference is exactly the opposite of that hypothesized. An independent samples t-test presented in Table B.10a in Appendix B reveals that the t-statistic for equal variances not assumed achieves statistical significance at the .05 level. Because of the direction of the difference, Hypothesis 10 is not supported. The general public watches local news on television more frequently than N&C participants.
Table 4.10
Group Statistics for Number of Days Watched Local News