Statistics for Public Policy

A long-overdue guide on how to use statistics to bring clarity, not confusion, to policy work. Statistics are an essential tool for making, evaluating, and improving public policy. Statistics for Public Policy is a crash course in wielding these unruly tools to bring maximum clarity to policy work. Former White House economist Jeremy G. Weber offers an accessible voice of experience for the challenges of this work, focusing on seven core practices:  Thinking big-picture about the role of data in decisions Critically engaging with data by focusing on its origins, purpose, and generalizability Understanding the strengths and limits of the simple statistics that dominate most policy discussions Developing reasons for considering a number to be practically small or large   Distinguishing correlation from causation and minor causes from major causes Communicating statistics so that they are seen, understood, and believed Maintaining credibility by being right (or at least respectably wrong) in every setting Statistics for Public Policy dispenses with the opacity and technical language that have long made this space impenetrable; instead, Weber offers an essential resource for all students and professionals working at the intersections of data and policy interventions. This book is all signal, no noise.

“Our statistical texts—and often our teaching—ignore the craft that makes quantitative evidence useful for policy makers. In Statistics for Public Policy, Weber draws on his own experience to address the nitty-gritty issues that advisors confront in honestly and effectively interpreting and presenting evidence.”, “The best public policy advisers know how to blend statistical knowledge with an understanding of the context of issues. Weber uses his experience as a White House economist to explain how analysts can make sense of messy real-world data and maintain their credibility even if their numbers turn out to be wrong. Accessible and engaging, Statistics for Public Policy presents practical tips to improve the use of statistics and data in the policy world.”

Jeremy G. Weber is professor in the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. He previously served as a chief economist for the White House Council of Economic Advisers.