Based on all the registered voters in the United States, the mean age of registered voters is 38. Is the mean score a parameter or a statistic? Explain your reasoning.

Question

The mean age of registered voters is a (parameter/statistic) because the score (is/is not) based on all registered voters in the United States.

Answer 1

A parameter is a characteristic of an entire population while a statistic is a characteristic of a sample, so the mean age of registered voters is a parameter because the score is based on all registered voters in the United States.