Statistics for Public Administration
Author: Maureen Berner
Publisher: International City/County Management Association(ICMA)
Published: 2013
Total Pages: 176
ISBN-13: 9780873267717
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Statistics in the Public Interest
Author: Alicia L. Carriquiry
Publisher: Springer Nature
Published: 2022-04-22
Total Pages: 574
ISBN-13: 303075460X
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis edited volume surveys a variety of topics in statistics and the social sciences in memory of the late Stephen Fienberg. The book collects submissions from a wide range of contemporary authors to explore the fields in which Fienberg made significant contributions, including contingency tables and log-linear models, privacy and confidentiality, forensics and the law, the decennial census and other surveys, the National Academies, Bayesian theory and methods, causal inference and causes of effects, mixed membership models, and computing and machine learning. Each section begins with an overview of Fienberg’s contributions and continues with chapters by Fienberg’s students, colleagues, and collaborators exploring recent advances and the current state of research on the topic. In addition, this volume includes a biographical introduction as well as a memorial concluding chapter comprised of entries from Stephen and Joyce Fienberg’s close friends, former students, colleagues, and other loved ones, as well as a photographic tribute.
Vital Statistics on Interest Groups and Lobbying
Author: Holly Brasher
Publisher: SAGE
Published: 2014-08-13
Total Pages: 473
ISBN-13: 1452219974
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis latest volume in the CQ Press series on vital statistics in American politics tackles interest groups and lobbying. This book builds from data that has been collected and organized from disclosure forms now required to be filed by registered lobbyists. After providing background about the Lobbying Disclosure Act, the book explores such questions as: When do organizations register to lobby? What are the characteristics of lobbying organizations (varying from professional and trade associations to businesses, coalitions, public interest groups, and intergovernmental groups)? How extensively do organizations lobby on issues? What sorts of efforts do they exert across Congress, the White House, and the various federal agencies? What is involved in terminations of lobbying firms and organizations? What sorts of issues and organizations are most often targeted? And what sorts of moneys are spent and how? Via narrative supported by extensive tables and charts, Vital Statistics on Interest Groups provides a broad, comprehensive, and informative view of lobbying, interest groups, and campaign contributions and their impact on American national politics.
Applied Spatial Statistics for Public Health Data
Author: Lance A. Waller
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Published: 2004-07-29
Total Pages: 522
ISBN-13: 0471662674
DOWNLOAD EBOOKWhile mapped data provide a common ground for discussions between the public, the media, regulatory agencies, and public health researchers, the analysis of spatially referenced data has experienced a phenomenal growth over the last two decades, thanks in part to the development of geographical information systems (GISs). This is the first thorough overview to integrate spatial statistics with data management and the display capabilities of GIS. It describes methods for assessing the likelihood of observed patterns and quantifying the link between exposures and outcomes in spatially correlated data. This introductory text is designed to serve as both an introduction for the novice and a reference for practitioners in the field Requires only minimal background in public health and only some knowledge of statistics through multiple regression Touches upon some advanced topics, such as random effects, hierarchical models and spatial point processes, but does not require prior exposure Includes lavish use of figures/illustrations throughout the volume as well as analyses of several data sets (in the form of "data breaks") Exercises based on data analyses reinforce concepts
Innovations in Federal Statistics
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Published: 2017-04-21
Total Pages: 151
ISBN-13: 030945428X
DOWNLOAD EBOOKFederal government statistics provide critical information to the country and serve a key role in a democracy. For decades, sample surveys with instruments carefully designed for particular data needs have been one of the primary methods for collecting data for federal statistics. However, the costs of conducting such surveys have been increasing while response rates have been declining, and many surveys are not able to fulfill growing demands for more timely information and for more detailed information at state and local levels. Innovations in Federal Statistics examines the opportunities and risks of using government administrative and private sector data sources to foster a paradigm shift in federal statistical programs that would combine diverse data sources in a secure manner to enhance federal statistics. This first publication of a two-part series discusses the challenges faced by the federal statistical system and the foundational elements needed for a new paradigm.
Democratizing Our Data
Author: Julia Lane
Publisher: MIT Press
Published: 2021-10-19
Total Pages: 187
ISBN-13: 0262542749
DOWNLOAD EBOOKA wake-up call for America to create a new framework for democratizing data. Public data are foundational to our democratic system. People need consistently high-quality information from trustworthy sources. In the new economy, wealth is generated by access to data; government's job is to democratize the data playing field. Yet data produced by the American government are getting worse and costing more. In Democratizing Our Data, Julia Lane argues that good data are essential for democracy. Her book is a wake-up call to America to fix its broken public data system.
The Art of Statistics
Author: David Spiegelhalter
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 2019-09-03
Total Pages: 359
ISBN-13: 1541618521
DOWNLOAD EBOOKIn this "important and comprehensive" guide to statistical thinking (New Yorker), discover how data literacy is changing the world and gives you a better understanding of life’s biggest problems. Statistics are everywhere, as integral to science as they are to business, and in the popular media hundreds of times a day. In this age of big data, a basic grasp of statistical literacy is more important than ever if we want to separate the fact from the fiction, the ostentatious embellishments from the raw evidence -- and even more so if we hope to participate in the future, rather than being simple bystanders. In The Art of Statistics, world-renowned statistician David Spiegelhalter shows readers how to derive knowledge from raw data by focusing on the concepts and connections behind the math. Drawing on real world examples to introduce complex issues, he shows us how statistics can help us determine the luckiest passenger on the Titanic, whether a notorious serial killer could have been caught earlier, and if screening for ovarian cancer is beneficial. The Art of Statistics not only shows us how mathematicians have used statistical science to solve these problems -- it teaches us how we too can think like statisticians. We learn how to clarify our questions, assumptions, and expectations when approaching a problem, and -- perhaps even more importantly -- we learn how to responsibly interpret the answers we receive. Combining the incomparable insight of an expert with the playful enthusiasm of an aficionado, The Art of Statistics is the definitive guide to stats that every modern person needs.
State and Local Government Statistics at a Crossroads
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Published: 2007-11-22
Total Pages: 188
ISBN-13: 9780309111362
DOWNLOAD EBOOKSince the early days of the nation, the federal government has collected information on the revenues, expenditures, and other features of state and local jurisdictions and their operations. Today, these data are collected primarily by the Governments Division of the U.S. Census Bureau, which has conducted a census of governments every 5 years since 1957. The division also manages a program of related annual and quarterly surveys, as well as a comprehensive directory of state and local governments. All of this work is now taking place in an environment of constrained resources, and there have been cutbacks in the availability and dissemination of the data. In this context, State and Local Government Statistics at a Crossroads documents the uses of the state and local data and assesses the quality of the data for those uses. This book provides in-depth consideration of the efficiency of the surveys; the user base; and the timeliness, relevance, and quality of the data series. It also provides valuable background information and analysis and offers suggestions for program improvements. This information will be valuable to policy makers, state and local government workers, government contractors, budget analysts, economists, demographers, and others who rely on these data on government at the state and local levels and have a stake in ensuring that limited resources do not compromise the quality of the data on which they rely.
More Damned Lies and Statistics
Author: Joel Best
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Published: 2004-09-06
Total Pages: 222
ISBN-13: 0520930029
DOWNLOAD EBOOKIn this sequel to the acclaimed Damned Lies and Statistics, which the Boston Globe said "deserves a place next to the dictionary on every school, media, and home-office desk," Joel Best continues his straightforward, lively, and humorous account of how statistics are produced, used, and misused by everyone from researchers to journalists. Underlining the importance of critical thinking in all matters numerical, Best illustrates his points with examples of good and bad statistics about such contemporary concerns as school shootings, fatal hospital errors, bullying, teen suicides, deaths at the World Trade Center, college ratings, the risks of divorce, racial profiling, and fatalities caused by falling coconuts. More Damned Lies and Statistics encourages all of us to think in a more sophisticated and skeptical manner about how statistics are used to promote causes, create fear, and advance particular points of view. Best identifies different sorts of numbers that shape how we think about public issues: missing numbers are relevant but overlooked; confusing numbers bewilder when they should inform; scary numbers play to our fears about the present and the future; authoritative numbers demand respect they don’t deserve; magical numbers promise unrealistic, simple solutions to complex problems; and contentious numbers become the focus of data duels and stat wars. The author's use of pertinent, socially important examples documents the life-altering consequences of understanding or misunderstanding statistical information. He demystifies statistical measures by explaining in straightforward prose how decisions are made about what to count and what not to count, what assumptions get made, and which figures are brought to our attention. Best identifies different sorts of numbers that shape how we think about public issues. Entertaining, enlightening, and very timely, this book offers a basis for critical thinking about the numbers we encounter and a reminder that when it comes to the news, people count—in more ways than one.
Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data
Author: Charles Wheelan
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 2013-01-07
Total Pages: 307
ISBN-13: 0393089827
DOWNLOAD EBOOKA New York Times bestseller "Brilliant, funny…the best math teacher you never had." —San Francisco Chronicle Once considered tedious, the field of statistics is rapidly evolving into a discipline Hal Varian, chief economist at Google, has actually called "sexy." From batting averages and political polls to game shows and medical research, the real-world application of statistics continues to grow by leaps and bounds. How can we catch schools that cheat on standardized tests? How does Netflix know which movies you’ll like? What is causing the rising incidence of autism? As best-selling author Charles Wheelan shows us in Naked Statistics, the right data and a few well-chosen statistical tools can help us answer these questions and more. For those who slept through Stats 101, this book is a lifesaver. Wheelan strips away the arcane and technical details and focuses on the underlying intuition that drives statistical analysis. He clarifies key concepts such as inference, correlation, and regression analysis, reveals how biased or careless parties can manipulate or misrepresent data, and shows us how brilliant and creative researchers are exploiting the valuable data from natural experiments to tackle thorny questions. And in Wheelan’s trademark style, there’s not a dull page in sight. You’ll encounter clever Schlitz Beer marketers leveraging basic probability, an International Sausage Festival illuminating the tenets of the central limit theorem, and a head-scratching choice from the famous game show Let’s Make a Deal—and you’ll come away with insights each time. With the wit, accessibility, and sheer fun that turned Naked Economics into a bestseller, Wheelan defies the odds yet again by bringing another essential, formerly unglamorous discipline to life.
