The Misuse, Misrepresentation, and Politicization of Statistics in American Society

(Hardback)

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The Misuse, Misrepresentation, and Politicization of Statistics in American Society critically examines the early measurement efforts of several government agencies responsible for some of the most widely watched social indicators on unemployment, life expectancy, crime, and population. It argues that official statistics are dubious at best, not so much as objective barometers of social life but rather arbitrary, highly-politicized, socially-constructed metrics that are easily manipulable and subject to misuse and misinterpretation. The book argues that official statistics powerfully frame social reality, ultimately helping to determine who counts and what matters in society. It makes the case that, as with other types of official accounts, data derived from government sources needs to be regarded skeptically and systematically investigated. The book concludes that official statistics are a kind of sanctioned cover up of everyday reality, hiding the true extent of joblessness, distorting the real increase in life expectancy, obscuring where crime actually happens, and hiding the undeniable growth of minority populations behind a facade.

Reviews

"Official statistics about unemployment, life expectancy, crime, and the nation's population are often taken for granted, just accepted as straightforward facts. Robert E. Parker's book invites us to think critically about these numbers by examining who decides what to count, as well as the even consequences of those choices for society's members."

"Providing a data infrastructure is one of the functions of the US government. Parker provides a timely warning that government data can be politicized to the detriment of everyone."

In this slim, well-written, and thoughtful volume, Parker demonstrates the concerning misuse, misrepresentation, and politicization of statistics generated by various federal agencies. This is not a how-to book for statistics, but a critical review of how statistics are created and what political, economic, and social consequences these socially constructed data have. Parker devotes the bulk of the text to critical analyses of the statistics and consequent problems created by four agencies: the Bureau of Labor Statistics and its underestimation of unemployment; the Centers for Disease Control and its overestimation of life expectancy; the FBI and its miscalculation of crime; and the Census Bureau and its decennial population undercount. As one can infer from these topic outlines, Parker is critical of the neoliberal philosophy underlying these data and the negative consequences they have for minority groups. His book makes clear the policy stakes of federal statistics for the lives of everyone, especially the disadvantaged. This book is recommended for undergraduates and general readers.

Author Bio

Robert E. Parker is professor of sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.