Trump Administration's Draft Budget Raises New Concerns About Data Collection

President Trump has made no secret of his disdain for many of the traditional data points used to represent the health and prosperity of the country. The budgetary process offers an opportunity to match words with action.

1 minute read

March 9, 2017, 2:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Future Farmers of America

The U.S. Department of Agriculture conducts the Census of Agriculture every five years to complete a count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. | U.S. Department of Agriculture / Flickr

According to an article by Dwyer Gunn, the Trump Administration's recently proposed budget draft has inspired a new round of concern about the future of statistics and data collection.

Among the data collecting and analyzing activities of the federal government of direct and critical need to planners is the American Community Survey, the annual survey conducted by the Census Bureau.

An article by Clare Malone from December 2016 also laid out the concerns, before the inauguration, of President Trump's well documented aversion to the institutions that collect and analyze statistics and data at the federal level.

As an indication of the scientific, and bi-partisan, concern over the Trump Administration's potential threat to data and statistics, Gunn reports that the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute held an event earlier this month titled "The Vital Role of Government Statistics: Strengthening Research, Governance, and Innovation." According to Dwyer, "[the] event was, in short, a full-throated, deeply passionate, bipartisan defense of the value and importance of government statistics."

Tuesday, March 7, 2017 in Pacific Standard

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

elongated-horizontal-arrow-3.webp

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions

Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

February 18, 2025 - National Parks Traveler

Paved walking path next to canal in The Woodlands, Texas with office buildings in background.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50

A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

February 19, 2025 - Greg Flisram

Small rural USPS post office in manufactured one-story grey building with American flag in front.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes

Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

February 12, 2025 - Cowboy State Daily

Chicago

Test News Post 1

This is a summary

April 8 - 2TheAdvocate.com

test alt text

Test News Headline 46

Test for the image on the front page.

March 5 - Cleantech blog

Military humvee driving through gate at Fort Indiantown Gap Natl Guard training center in Pennsylvania surrounded by winter trees and dead leaves.

Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species

The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.

February 24 - Esri Blog