Federal Statistics in the Policy making Process

In: The annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Band 631, S. 34-42

Abstract

Federal statistics are integral to the adequate evaluation of public policy planning and performance in the United States. The Obama administration has determined that empirical science, including statistics, will be at the foundation of the president's policy agenda. However, to be useful, federal statistics must be reliable, relevant, timely, and unbiased, and the departments that produce them must be adequately funded. In this age of austerity, policies must be scrutinized for their efficiency, reach, and effectiveness. Furthermore, each department within the federal government must embrace the need for increased utilization of technology and innovation. This article lays out the need for increased utilization of statistical research of public policy; moreover, this utilization is exemplified by highlighting several FY 2010 budgetary decisions made in the policy areas of health and education. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Inc., copyright The American Academy of Political and Social Science.]