Larry Hedges, Chair, and Avi Feller, Vice Chair, ASA Scientific and Public Affairs Committee

The ASA is the premier professional association that speaks for the field of statistics and professional statisticians. Consequently, the ASA is often asked to comment about proposed policies, support policy positions, and provide amicus (friend of the court) briefs.

We are mindful that the ASA has limited resources to respond to such requests, but also that we have a duty to provide the public with the benefit of our particular scientific knowledge. We also know the choice of issues on which we speak (and on which we remain silent) may be interpreted as meaningful.

Therefore, we believe there should be a transparent process for making the decision about the policy issues on which the ASA has been asked to take a public position. We publish our proposed process here with a call to ASA members to provide their comments to ensure the process is transparent, open, and objective.

The process would cover the ASA board statements, amicus briefs, and other such positions that go beyond the scope of ASA spokesperson, as stipulated in the ASA bylaws: “The President and the Executive Director are the official spokespersons of the Association.”* This process also assumes Article XI of the ASA bylaws holds:

Article XI. RESOLUTIONS

1. Partisan Issues. The name of the Association must not be used in connection with support for partisan issues or for candidates for public office. Resolutions by the Board of Directors on nonpartisan issues require approval by two-thirds of the voting members of the Board who are not required to recuse themselves due their government employment or a conflict of interest. When there is concern as to whether an issue is partisan, a majority vote of the voting members of the Board is required to declare it non-partisan.
2. Referenda. Upon petition of at least 100 individual members of the Association, any resolution of the Board of Directors, as specified in Article XI, Section 1, will be subject to a referendum by the membership. The resolution will be published in a news bulletin as early as possible. A ballot will be sent to the individual members within 30 days after the publication date of the news bulletin. The will of the membership, as expressed by a majority of those voting, governs.
3. Commitment. Resolutions and recommendations of councils, chapters, sections, or committees of the Association will be so phrased as not to commit the Association or its membership

The board’s questions from 2017 on when the ASA should make a public position, as supplemented below, should be used in evaluating whether the ASA should respond to requests to take a position:

1. Is the ASA particularly well positioned to respond to the issue?
2. Does the issue have impact on the statistics profession or on the ASA itself?
3. Does this issue have impact on the quality or integrity of science, including statistics, or on the ability to inform public policy?
4. Is there an opportunity to educate about statistics or is there a statistical perspective on this issue that we should speak to?
5. In our judgment, would our members expect us to be involved in the issue?
6. Does the issue involve an unambiguous violation of accepted norms of practice in statistical science or the ethical principles of the profession?
7. Does the issue relate to possible infringement on scientific freedom or human/civil rights?

The ASA should not wade into discussions more appropriate for expert witnesses, engaging only when—in the judgment of the board—there is general agreement among statisticians with the position stated in the brief.

We propose the following procedure:

• Those wishing to ask the ASA to take a position will make a formal request to the ASA, as outlined below. That request and any additional materials will be considered first by the ASA staff, then by the ASA section(s) or committee(s) with the relevant expertise or interest, and—if warranted and not already included—the Scientific and Public Affairs Advisory Committee.
• The consulted section(s) and committee(s) will make a recommendation to the ASA Board as to (a) whether the ASA should provide the requested support and (b) whether the consulted section(s) or committee(s) will draft documents in collaboration with the ASA staff or an independent committee of ASA members or others who might be a more appropriate drafting entity.
• The entity determined in (b) will then submit the draft document to the ASA Board for approval (or not).
• To facilitate review, the request must include a one-page summary that includes the following:
  • A brief, clear statement of the issue to which the ASA is requested to respond, along with the time sensitivity, if any, of the request.
  • Short explanations of how the proposed statement satisfies the criteria listed above.
  • Relevant information about those making the recommendation.
• The request should be sent to the ASA executive director with the director of science policy copied. A request could also be sent to a member of the ASA Board of Directors.

The board also initiates the issuance of the ASA positions discussed here, sometimes at the recommendation of ASA staff. The board’s process generally remains the same, using the supplemented 2017 questions as their guide for whether to proceed and following the ASA bylaws.

Any comments should be sent to ASA Director of Science Policy Steve Pierson by March 31.

*“When the President is unable to serve as a spokesperson, this role can be delegated to the President-Elect.” Further, the bylaws presume that no other individuals should claim to have authority to speak on behalf of the ASA unless so delegated.