Count on Stats is a public outreach program that “aims to enhance awareness of the importance, reliability, and trustworthiness of government statistics.”
federal statistical agencies
Infrastructure Series: Challenges Loom for Chief Statistician of the US
For this installment of the Count on Stats State of the Data Infrastructure Series, we hear from former Chief Statisticians of the United States Hermann Habermann, Katherine Wallman, and Nancy Potok.
ASA, COPAFS, Partners Urge Bolstering of Federal Statistical Agencies
Federal statistics have undergirded our democracy, society, and economy since the nation’s founding. Even as their importance has increased over the centuries—especially recently with the focus on evidence-based policymaking—the agencies producing the data have been neglected, lost important autonomy and statutory protections, and been pushed deeper into the federal bureaucracy.
FY21 Federal Budget Finalized
![Figure 1 shows the budgets of the seven mid-sized statistical agencies normalized to their FY09 levels, along with the GDP deflator to account for inflation. Budget restructuring for ERS in FY15 and ORES in FY19 are accounted for in the graph to allow for comparison over this time period. One-time moving costs in FY16 for BEA are also omitted. [Key: BEA, Bureau of Economic Analysis; BJS, Bureau of Justice Statistics; BTS, Bureau of Transportation Statistics; ERS, USDA Economic Research Service; NCSES, NSF National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics; ORES, Social Security Administration Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics; SOI, IRS Statistics of Income Division]](https://magazine.amstat.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/FY_Figure1_-150x150.jpg)
The NIH, NSF, and several federal statistical agencies received increases, but many are facing fiscal challenges after years of purchasing power loss.
Everyone Counts: Data for the Public Good
In her latest President’s Corner column, Wendy Martinez talks about data for good from the vantage point of being president of the ASA.
Federal Statistical Agencies Praised for Pandemic Response
The first half of 2020 was a busy time for the federal statistical system, requiring quick responses and nimble adaptability from agencies on several fronts.
Large Budget Increases for Agency Survey Mask Budget and Staff Challenges
ASA Science Policy Director Steve Pierson responds to a critique of his April Amstat News article about the federal statistical agencies’ FY20 budgets.
How (In)Visible Is Science in ASA?
John Gardenier says an April Amstat News article needed more information about the FY20 budget for the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.
National Center for Education Statistics Faces Program Cuts
The National Center for Education Statistics is facing a staffing and budget crisis. Important programs may be cut unless Congress and the Department of Education intervene.
FY20 Budget Brings Increases for NIH, Select Statistical Agencies
The FY20 federal budgets were finalized in December and the National Institutes of Health saw its fifth year of multi-billion-dollar increases.