How to Verify A Reference to Public Statistics

Most media statements citing a statistic are based on an outside resource, often an agency hired to curate a conclusion.  The statistic is then repeated often enough it is presumed as current fact and many times the source and criteria are not cited.  However, the federal government, thru the Constitutional authority (Article 1, Section 2) of a Census, has expanded their data collection to annual, bi-annual surveys with a larger base of respondents than anything private enterprise could present. 

 These federal agency programs collect, analyze, and disseminate statistical data and information:

• Bureau of Economic Analysis collects information on economic indicators, national and international trade, accounts, and industry.
• Bureau of Justice Statistics reports on justice systems, crime, criminal offenders, and victims of crime.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics measures labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the U.S. economy.
• Bureau of Transportation Statistics provides data on airline on-time performance, pirates at sea, transportation safety and availability, motorcycle trends, and more. 
• Data.gov is the home of the U.S. Government's open data. Find federal, state, and local data, tools, and resources to conduct research, build apps, design data visualizations, and more.
• Economic Research Service informs public and private decision making on economic and policy issues related to agriculture, food, the environment, and rural development.
• Energy Information Administration provides data on U.S. use of coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, renewable energy, and more.

AND A DOZEN MORE TOPICS:  Data and Statistics | USAGov

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