In the article “ How to Display Data Badly” in the May 1984 issue of The American Statistician, Howard Wainer presents a stacked bar chart of the number of public and private elementary schools ( 1929– 1970). This bar chart is given in Figure 2.33 on the previous page. Wainer also gives a line graph of the number of private elementary schools (1930– 1970). This graph is shown in Figure 2.34 on the previous page.
a. Looking at the bar chart of Figure 2.33, does there appear to be an increasing trend in the number of private elementary schools from 1930 to 1970?
b. Looking at the line graph of Figure 2.34, does there appear to be an increasing trend in the number of private elementary schools from 1930 to 1970?
c. Which portrayal of the data do you think is more appropriate? Explain why.
d. Is either portrayal of the data entirely appropriate? Explain.