Data

Overcoming Roadblocks to Evidence-Based Policy Making

COMMENTARY | Promising initiatives like the California Policy Lab show how governments can take greater advantage of data.

  • By Paul Decker

Small Business Owners Can’t Find Qualified Workers, Survey Finds

The National Federation of Independent Business says the pandemic and increased unemployment benefits are keeping people out of the labor market.

  • By Brent Woodie

Why the Pandemic Experts Failed

We’re still thinking about pandemic data in the wrong ways.

  • By Alexis C. Madrigal and Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic

Estimating How Many Covid Cases and Deaths the Vaccine Will Prevent

COMMENTARY | A predictive model helps to highlight the potential benefits of the vaccine rollout, even providing data that is specific to different states and cities.

  • By Prasith “Sid” Baccam

These Steps Can Help Build Trust in Vaccination Programs

COMMENTARY | States and localities should prioritize using clear, science-based communication, restoring trust and providing better data to address the hesitancy some people have about getting the Covid-19 vaccine.

  • By Graham Stroman

Census Estimates Show Population Decline in 16 States

The declines could lead to economic stagnation for some states. Overall, the nation grew about 7% between 2010 and 2020, similar to a previous historic low around the time of the Great Depression.

  • By Tim Henderson, Stateline

To Unlock the Full Potential of Data, Local Governments Need The Right Talent

COMMENTARY | Local governments don’t need more data—they need people who can process what they already have.

  • By Jeff Mazur

America’s Most Reliable Pandemic Data Are Now at Risk

The Biden administration has to make a choice: Should it undo a vital system that Trump’s health department created?

  • By Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic

How 5G and AI Are Creating an Architectural Revolution

5G will transform IT from the bottom-up—and that means changes for security.

  • By Cameron Chehreh and Steve Orrin

A State Becomes the First to Suspend Facial Recognition Technology in Schools

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said there are “serious and legitimate privacy concerns” with the technology—but only prohibited its use until 2022.

  • By Emma Coleman

Time for an Update: How States Can Improve IT Systems to Use Data More Effectively

COMMENTARY | State governments have data, but aren’t using it well. A strategic approach is needed to rebuild their data infrastructure.

  • By Jed Herrmann and Tyler Kleykamp

How a Spreadsheet Could Change the Criminal Justice System

COMMENTARY | A lack of data instills trial-court judges with enormous, largely unrestrained sentencing power.

  • By Pierre H. Bergeron and Michael P. Donnelly, The Atlantic
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For America’s New Mayors, a Chance to Lead with Data

COMMENTARY | The challenges facing local governments are bigger than ever and tackling them will require building cultures inside city halls committed to using data and making decisions based on evidence.

  • By Zachary Markovits and Molly Daniell

NIH to Study How Much (More) Americans Are Drinking Alcohol During Pandemic

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism contracted for a second study to get better data about how the pandemic is affecting Americans’ drinking habits.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Can Better Data Fix America’s Policing Crisis?

COMMENTARY | As society debates law enforcement reform, far better data is necessary to provide a road map for needed changes.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

To Better Address Covid, States Need to Use Data Better

COMMENTARY | Covid-19 exposed gaps in data use for state governments but it also revealed innovative practices that can be applied in the future.

  • By Jed Herrmann and Tyler Kleykamp

How Planning to Protect Data Privacy Helped One State’s Covid-19 Response

By creating standardized data sharing agreements that cover privacy issues unique to each state agency, Indiana officials say they were able to streamline requests to share data with the public.

  • By Andrea Noble

Geolocation Data Could Help Planners Design Communities that Require Less Driving

“By actually knowing where people are going, we can start to rethink how we plan for investments of all kinds and other policies,” says one of the authors of a new study.

  • By Bill Lucia

Predicting Coronavirus Outbreaks Using Google Searches for Gastrointestinal Problems

New research found that Google searches for symptoms associated with the coronavirus might be able to predict outbreaks before positive test results confirm them.

  • By Emma Coleman

Using Measurement to Inform an Equitable, Aligned COVID-19 Recovery

COMMENTARY | While data is a critical tool in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, glaring reporting disparities around race and socioeconomic status remain. Policymakers need to ensure they are using an equitable measurement approach to ensure they are serving the needs of all communities.

  • By Tamika Cowans, Ellen Schultz, Trenita Childers, Tandrea Hilliard and Maliha Ali

State Watchdogs Plan to Monitor Covid Data Accuracy

Data presented to the public has often been confusing.

  • By Jenni Bergal, Stateline