Government Data: The Unseen Casualty of Political Shifts

The federal government has been gathering and sharing data for years. This data helps in decision-making at all levels. It informs leaders, businesses, schools, and healthcare providers across the nation. Yet, this crucial data is now at risk due to recent changes in government policies. The Department of Government Efficiency has been making significant cuts. Many of these cuts target the federal government's data collection and sharing efforts. As a result, the government is losing its ability to measure how society is functioning. This makes it harder to understand the problems we face and the effectiveness of solutions. Several agencies have been affected. The Department of Health and Human Services has laid off teams responsible for key surveys. These surveys track substance abuse, mental health, child welfare, and maternal mortality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also cut divisions that oversee important databases. These databases track accidental deaths, injuries, and sexually transmitted diseases. The Environmental Protection Agency plans to stop requiring industrial facilities to report greenhouse-gas emissions. This makes it difficult to assess the effectiveness of policies aimed at slowing climate change. The EPA has also taken down a tool that allowed people to see industrial pollution in their communities. The Office of Homeland Security Statistics has not updated its tallies on deportations and immigration enforcement. This makes it hard to judge the effectiveness of border control policies. The National Weather Service is reducing weather balloon launches. This means less data on temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure, which are crucial for improving weather forecasting. The data being lost is not just about tracking problems. It also supports some of the administration's own claims. For example, data on fentanyl addiction has been used to argue for tougher border enforcement. However, the survey that provides this data is now at risk. The halt on data gathering is puzzling. In some areas, the data at risk supports the administration's own policies. For instance, data on student achievement has been used to argue for changes in education policies. But now, the National Assessment of Educational Progress is likely to be reduced in scope. This makes it harder to track student achievement and the effectiveness of education policies. The loss of data has broader implications. It makes it harder for policymakers to make evidence-based decisions. It also makes it harder for the public to hold policymakers accountable. Even if a future administration seeks to resurrect some of the curtailed efforts, the hiatus will make trends harder to identify and understand. The loss of data is incalculable, and the future of data collection in the government remains uncertain.