PRESIDENT-ELECT 2010
Clyde Tucker
D
uring the 21st century, we will face a number of chal- it has helped meet another ASA objective, ensuring the financial
lenges that may seem almost insurmountable. Besides viability of the ASA.
the threat of terrorism worldwide, other threats to the
I also believe the ASA should rely on the network of chapters to
well-being of people everywhere exist. The global economy must
communicate with members. This will require a concerted effort
be saved, or at least repaired. The health-care crisis, both in terms
on the part of the Council of Chapters. I think it is important for
of the growing cost and diseases such as the AIDS epidemic, must
the leadership of the ASA to interact with members. To that end,
be addressed. Solutions to global warming must be found. Human
I would visit some of the smaller chapters that rarely receive visits
rights must be protected in an increasingly hostile world.
from ASA Board members.
Skilled statisticians from all sectors—government, academia,
Finally, I believe it is particularly important for an ASA presi-
and private firms—must contribute to meeting these challenges.
Tucker
dent to be a visible presence at the meeting of the International
Furthermore, significant interaction among these groups of statis-
Statistical Institute.
ticians on an international scale will be critical. Everyone will have
a contribution to make. Present Positions: Senior Survey Methodologist, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 1998–; Director of Election Projections, CNN, 2003–
Many of the objectives in the ASA strategic plan are relevant to
these efforts and must be accomplished to achieve our goals. As Former Positions: Director, Behavioral Science Research Center,
ASA president, my watchwords will be commitment and service— Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1992–1998; Mathematical Statistician,
commitment to the statistical profession and service to society. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1983–1992; Assistant to the Director,
CBS News Elections and Surveys, 1981–1982; Assistant Manager
As your president, I would pursue the following policies:
of CBS News Polls, 1979–1981
1. Education and Recruitment
Degrees: PhD, Political Science, University of Georgia, 1979;
The first objective of the ASA strategic plan is to reach out to the
MA, Political Science, University of Georgia, 1975; MS, Statistics,
young who are the future of the ASA, and another is to lobby
University of Georgia, 1982; BA, Political Science, Armstrong
for better education programs in statistics. Although the graduate
State College (Georgia), 1971
education of statisticians is critical, I am interested particularly in
attracting both high-school and undergraduate students. In the Fields of Major Statistical Activity: Research interests include tele-
last several decades, we have not placed the necessary emphasis on phone survey design, large-scale experimental design, and exit poll
strong training in mathematics in secondary and post-secondary methodology. Other research focused on methods for reducing non-
institutions. Without that foundation, the pool of those with the response, measurement of nonresponse bias and other nonsampling
ability to become statisticians will remain small. While this coun- errors, and survey quality control methods for real time analysis.
try will continue to draw upon the talents of statisticians from
other countries, it is critical that U.S. citizens are in the pipeline
Publications: “Strategies for Predicting Whether a Citizen Will
and available for government service. I would work with the ASA
Vote and Estimation of Electoral Outcomes,” Public Opinion
staff to improve our educational outreach to high-school and
Quarterly, 1984 (with M. Traugott); “Exploring the Relation
undergraduate students.
of Economic and Political Conditions With Refusal Rates in a
Government Survey,” Journal of Official Statistics, 1999 (with B.
2. Emphasize the Role of Statistics in Informing Both Domestic and Harris-Kojetin); “Household Telephone Service Usage Patterns in
Foreign Policy the United States in 2004: Implications for Telephone Samples,”
This concern about public policy is expressed in the second and Public Opinion Quarterly, 2007 (with J.M. Brick and B. Meekins);
third objectives of the strategic plan. As a government statistician Three book chapters, a co-edited volume on telephone survey
for more than 25 years, this is my first love. At the same time, methodology, and additional articles in several publications includ-
having had experience both in the private sector and academia, I ing the Journal of Official Statistics, Political Behavior, Social Science
understand public policy requires a partnership involving the three Computer Review, and the Bulletin of Sociological Methodology
sectors. My particular interest coincides with the emphasis President
Barack Obama has placed on performance measurement in the
ASA Activities and Offices Held: ASA Committee on Privacy
federal government. It is hard to imagine effective performance
and Confidentiality, 1989–1993; Chair, 1994; Fellow, 1996;
measurement without the aid of government statisticians. I would
Roger Herriot Award for Innovation in Government Statistics,
advocate a joint study by the ASA and the Committee on National
1998; Chair, Government Statistics Section, 2001; ASA COPAFS
Statistics concerning the role statisticians could play in performance
Representative, 2003–2004; ASA Committee on Women in
measurement, as well as ways we can communicate to those outside
Statistics, 2002–2006; ASA Continuing Education Committee,
the discipline the important contributions statisticians can make.
2004–2006; Patricia J. Doyle Award, Government Statistics
Section, 2005; President, WSS Board, 2005–2006
3. Meeting the Needs of the Membership
Several objectives in the strategic plan address the needs of the
Related Professional Activities: Various elected positions on the
statistical community. As ASA president, I would focus on achiev-
National Council of the American Association for Public Opinion
ing the objectives in several ways. I would advocate more interna-
Research; Advisory Board for Public Opinion Quarterly; National
tional conferences as a useful way of meeting the diverse needs in
Advisory Council on Educational Statistics; Interagency Research
the organization. These conferences could be patterned along the
Working Group on Race and Ethnicity; Interagency Committee
lines of the series of international conferences sponsored by the
to Develop Implementation Guidelines for the New OMB
Survey Research Methods Section. That series has led to the dif-
Standards on Racial and Ethnic Classification; Federal Committee
fusion of innovation in a cost-effective and timely manner while
on Statistical Methodology; Associate Editor, Journal of Official
generally being profitable for the sponsoring organizations. Thus,
Statistics; AAPOR Innovator’s Award
12 AMSTAT NEWS MARCH 2009
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