Question

(NOT A MULTIPLE CHOICE)

Suppose a civic engineer wants to conduct a survey to find out if residents of a city would be in favor of widening one of the city's roadways for increased traffic flow

a. Would a sample consisting of residents who utilize that roadway to travel to work each morning be representative? Explain.

b. Would a sample consisting of residents who live along that roadway be representative? Explain.

c. Would a random sample of homeowners in the city be representative? Explain.

Answer 1

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Answer:

a, b, c --- all not representative

Explanation:

The question posed by the engineer is "are residents of the city in favor of ...".

The only representative sample is one from a pool that includes all residents of the city—not just those who (a) use the road, (b) live along the road, or (c) own homes.

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Additional comment

The engineer may want to refine the question. As posed, it would include children, homeless, and/or institutionalized residents of the city as well as drivers and tax-payers. In inclusive cultural traditions, "residents of the city" may also include animals, plants, water, air, and other holders of spiritual energy.