Introduction to Latin America

Assignment 01

Instructions

  1. For the data, right-click, “save/download file as…”
  2. Import/open the data
  3. Complete all of the tasks associated with that data and keep track of your answers / images
  4. Once you are done, go on Canvas and answer the questions related to the assignment
    • the Canvas assignment is timed; if you open it prior to completing the tasks you will run out of time

Skills used:

  • importing data
  • sorting / filtering
  • plotting (wide)
  • constructing new variables
  • counting categories / percentages

My awkward Google Sheets video tutorials are here

Advice

A good workflow for the first assignment: look at the question, look at “skills used”, figure out what skills the question relies on. Watch the video(s) for those questions, then tackle the question.

Latin America’s economies, over time

Download this data on GDP per capita in Latin America (1921-2016).

Warning

For all questions, you can ignore the fact that for some countries/years we don’t have data.

  1. Look up how GDP is calculated. Describe, in your own words, how it’s calculated and what we hope to measure with it. 100 words or less. (2 pts)

  2. Sort the data to identify the country with the lowest and highest GDP per capita in 1921. Which country had the lowest GDP, and which country had the highest GDP (EXCLUDING the US)? (1 pt).

  1. Now, for the most recent year that we have data, which country had the lowest GDP, and which country had the highest GDP (EXCLUDING the US)? (1 pt).
  1. Pick three countries and make a time series plot of GDP per capita (y) over time (x). Save the plot so you can upload it. (1 point)

  1. Are there any periods of rapid increase or decrease? Pick one and Google around to see what was going on in the country in that time. Briefly describe. (2 points)

  2. Which country has grown the most and which country has grown the least over this time period? Construct a new variable, called growth, that takes on this form: \[Growth (\%) = \frac{GDP_{2016} - GDP_{1921}}{GDP_{1921}} \times 100\] Note: This variable tells you by what percent each country’s GDP grew or shrank over the time period. (1 points)

Which country’s GDP grew most, and which grew least?

Leader ideology

Using this database of leader ideology across Latin America, answer the following:

Variable dictionary
Variable Description
country Country
year Year
hog The formal head of government, typically in charge of domestic affairs
hog_ideology Ideology of head of government
hog_party_eng Name of head of government's party, in English
leader The country's most politically powerful individual (can be same as head of gov't)
leader_ideology Ideology of leader
leader_party_eng Name of leader's party, in English
  1. Filter the data: who was the centrist head of government from Honduras who held office for only one year? (1 point)

  1. Look them up. Why did they only hold office for one year? 100 words or less. (1 point)

  2. Count the number of rows by LEADER ideology (hint: see counting categories video). Overall, in what PERCENT of rows have leftist leaders held power in Latin America? (1 point)

  1. Come up with a thoughtful question someone could answer with this data. Describe your question, what you did with the data to answer it, and what the answer is. Roughly 100 words. (2 points)