Question

Identify the population, the sample, the population parameter and the sample statistic. 59 percent of New Mexico voters surveyed in the recent poll said they favor a combination of cuts and tax increases to fix the state's budget shortfall, while 31 percent said they would prefer deeper cuts with no tax increases. The Albuquerque Journal Poll is based on a scientific. statewide sample of 501 likely voters.

Answer 1

The population in the New Mexico voters poll is all New Mexico voters, the sample includes the 501 likely voters surveyed, the population parameter is the true proportion of all voters in favor of budget adjustments, and the sample statistic is the 59 percent of the sample that expressed this preference.

Step-by-step explanation:

When analyzing polls, we can define the population as the entire group of individuals of interest. In the case of the New Mexico voters poll, the population is all New Mexico voters. The sample consists of a subset of the population from which data is actually collected, which in this poll is the 501 likely voters surveyed.

A population parameter is a numerical value that characterizes some aspect of the population. In the poll, the population parameter of interest could be the actual proportion of all New Mexico voters who favor a combination of cuts and tax increases. The sample statistic is the analogous measure calculated from the collected data, which here is the 59 percent of the surveyed voters indicating their preference. This percentage represents an estimate of the population parameter based on the sample.

Understanding these definitions helps us in analyzing the reliability and relevance of survey results. Survey accuracy is affected by factors including sample size, survey methods, and the representativeness of the sample. Polls with a large, scientifically chosen sample size that accounts for demographic diversity and uses unbiased questioning techniques generally provide more reliable insights into the opinions of the larger population.