ECN 111B analyze and interpret quantitative historical evidence

ECN 111B

US Economic History

Professor Eriksson

Data Assignment

Due by 11:59pm on Friday, April 24 (on Canvas)

One of our goals in this class is to learn how to analyze and interpret quantitative historical evidence. This assignment will ask you to produce your own historical data. You will use socialexplorer.com, a rich data source that allows users to create maps depicting information from the US Census (as well as other sources). This assignment will ask you to trace patterns of change over time in two Census variables of interest for the area surrounding your home address. We will focus on two years/data types combinations: 1970 Census Tracts and 2000 Census Tracts.

Detailed Set of Instructions (this section explains how to use SocialExplorer.com)

1. The credentials for signing into SocialExplorer.com are:
   1. Username: Mjdcurtis@ucdavis.edu
   2. Password: Ecn111BSpring2020

(usually students can access it free on campus, but it isn’t letting me access the pro version without being on campus).

MAKE SURE TO SIGN IN so that you see “Professional Plan” at the top right of the website.

1. Questions will NOT be answered about problems accessing the website unless they are posted on the Canvas discussion forum. Don’t count on the TAs and professor to be available late the night the assignment is due.

1. Go to www.socialexplorer.com. Click on the “Explore” section of the on the map with “United States”.

1. Let’s focus on your home address (if you aren’t from the US, pick a place you know well—Davis or a major city you’ve spent time in). Enter your address in the box at the top right after clicking on the search icon (the magnifying glass). A map will appear marking your address with a push-pin. Use the zoom-out tool in the bottom left to see your neighborhood in the context of its surroundings.

1. At the left-hand side of the window at the top, you will see a drop-down menu under “Change Data”. Select a year, a category, and a variable of interest. (The default year and data type is “2018 Census Tract,” the default category is “Population” and the default variable is “Population Density (per square mile).”). Next, change the unit of observation to Census Tract under “Show data by”. The map will automatically change to reflect your new choices.

1. Our geographic unit of analysis will be the “Census Tract,” which is roughly equivalent to a neighborhood. Note that some variables are available in both 1970 and 2000, while others are only available in one year or the other. In some cases, there are close substitutes (e.g., % with 4 years of college vs. % with Bachelors Degree), while in other cases a variable appears or disappears over time. When selecting variables, try to choose variables which are consistent over time. Also, choose variables that have some economic meaning—one bad variable would be gender because we really don’t expect the gender composition of the population to change over time.

1. Now that you are familiar with the site, you are ready to select your two variables of interest. For each variable of choice in each year (1970 and 2000), begin by creating a map on your computer. The map will allow you to see how your neighborhood compares to surrounding neighborhoods with respect to the variable in question.

1. Now, we will more formally compare your neighborhood to the county and state in which it is located. Select the “report” tool at the top of right the screen (the first option on the drop-down menu). A dialog box will appear. For question 1 (“select a survey”), indicate the year you have selected using the dropdown menu (either Census 1970 or Census 2000). For question 2 (“choose a topic”), choose either “comprehensive” or the variable categories that you are interested in. For the third question (“Select one or more geographic areas”), choose the census tract of your neighborhood, the county that it is in, and the state. You can also make three separate reports by area if you choose. To select the areas of interest, use your mouse to click on the relevant Census tract with the cursor. Finally, select “Make a report.” A demographic report will open in another page of your browser. The report has more information than you need. Scan down the list of variables on the left-hand side and find the variable(s) of interest. Compare your neighborhood to the rest of the county and the state.

1. Conduct steps #5 and #6 for both variables of interest and both years (1970 and 2000). Keep notes for yourself indicating the level of each variable in your neighborhood, the county and the state for both years in order to answer the questions below.

Based on your findings, respond to the following questions:

Example tables (fill in 6 numbers for each variable):

Variable A

Variable B

1. Fill in the tables above with
   1. The variable names (replace “Variable A” and “Variable B”)
   2. The levels of each variable for the three geographic units in each year.
2. Describe how the levels of each variables compare to your county and state in each year.
3. Draw two graphs (by hand or in excel), one for each of your two variables, answering the following question and explain the graph in 1-2 sentences below it: Has your neighborhood converged on the rest of the state, diverged from the rest of the state, experienced a reversal of fortune with the rest of the state, or remained in a similar position relative to the rest of the state over time with respect to these variables?
4. How does the demographic data explored here compare to your anecdotal experience of living in this area and your sense of the area’s history?

Turn in your answers to questions (a)-(d). You do not need to pass in the corresponding maps or demographic reports. Your answers may be up to 2 pages double-spaced (12-point font, 1 inch margins).

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