Count on Stats Campaign Launches LinkedIn Group to Support Federal Statistical Agencies

Last week, the ASA’s Count on Stats campaign launched a LinkedIn group to further support the federal statistical agencies through discussion, information sharing, and awareness building.

In the group’s first post, Katherine Wallman, former chief statistician of the United States, suggested we think of these agencies as the US data infrastructure because of their vital—yet taken-for-granted—role supporting all aspects of our economy, everyday lives, and governance. Further, just as the civil engineers’ report on the state of US infrastructure—including roads, bridges, and rail—she recommends we assess the state of US data infrastructure.

“Our country’s economic and social well-being relies on the impartial and accurate data produced by the nation’s 13 independent federal statistical agencies,” wrote Wallman. To assess the nation’s readiness to make evidence-based policy decisions, there must be, according to Wallman, a robust discourse about challenges facing the US data infrastructure, including data accuracy, quality, relevance, and objectivity.

Join the LinkedIn group, invite your contacts to join, and tell us how you  Count on Stats from the US data infrastructure.

Follow Count on Stats on Twitter @CountOnStats and use #datainfrastructure.