The Michigan Law & Social Work Study surveys MSW and JD students, respectively, attending institutions in the state of Michigan in 2017 on political attitudes and behaviors. The study aims to identify systematic differences in the way MSW and JD students think about politics, and specifically elected office. Included in the design is an experimental component that tests whether particular framing vignettes affect a respondent's interest in running for office.
Documentation: Codebook
Geographic Coverage: Michigan
Time Period: 02/2017 - 04/2017
Unit of Observation: Individual
Universe: MSW students attending the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, or Western Michigan University; and JD students attending the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, or Wayne State University.
Sample: The Michigan Law & Social Work Study utilizes a non-probablity sample of MSW and JD students in the state of Michigan. Four MSW programs in the state--University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and Western Michigan University--agreed to participate in the study, and forwarded email invitations to their students using their listserv. While this had the potential to reach every student, an unknown percentage of students at each institution chose not to participate in the university listserv. Law school administrations were unwilling to offer assistance with this study. An email invitation was sent to the listserv of students attending the University of Michigan law school. A few student organizations were willing to forward the email invitation to their membership at Michigan State University and Wayne State University. A total of 612 MSW surveys were started. Of these, 67 had to be discarded for not reaching the experimental condition, for a total 545 usable responses. A total of 239 JD surveys were started, 39 of which had to be discarded for not reaching the experimental condition, for a total of 200 usable responses.
Time Method: Cross-Sectional
Mode of Data Collection: web-based survey
Response Rates: The total response rate for the MSW sample was 26.1%. The response rate for the JD sample at the University of Michigan was 24%, while the response rate for Michigan State and Wayne State was less than 1%.
Meehan, P. Water into wine: Using social policy courses to make social work students more interested in politics.
Meehan, P. What difference does it make? Motivations for social work and politics.