Honest Numbers and Democracy

Presents a compelling, historically grounded, case for 'honest numbers' and a well-informed perspective on their future. -- John L. Palmer, The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University

Drawing heavily on candid off-the-record interviews with political executives, career civil servants, elected officials and Washington-based journalists, the author documents the steady deformation of social policy analysis under the pressure of ideological politics waged by both the executive and legislative branches.In "Honest Numbers and Democracy", Walter Williams offers a revealing history of policy analysis in the federal government and a scorching critique of what's wrong with social policy analysis today. Williams, a policy insider who witnessed the birth of domestic policy analysis during the Johnson administration, contends that the increasingly partisan U.S. political environment is vitiating both "honest numbers" - the data used to direct public policy - and, more importantly, honest analysts, particularly in the White House. Drawing heavily on candid off-the-record interviews with political executives, career civil servants, elected officials and Washington-based journalists, Williams documents the steady deformation of social policy analysis under the pressure of ideological politics waged by both the executive and legislative branches. Beginning with the Reagan era and continuing into Clinton's tenure, Williams focuses on the presidents' growing penchant to misuse and hide numbers provided by their own analysts to assist in major policy decisions. "Honest Numbers and Democracy" is the first book to examine in-depth the impact of the electronic revolution, its information overload, and rampant public distrust of the federal government's data on the practice of policy analysis. A hard-hitting account of the factors threatening the credibility of the policymaking process, this book will be required reading for policy professionals, presidential watchers, and anyone interested in the future of U.S. democracy.