Science Policy News
The Obama Administration: A Call for
Data on What Works, What Doesn’t
Steve Pierson, ASA Director of Science Policy, pierson@amstat.org
P
resident Barack Obama is living up to, if not
exceeding, the expectations in the science com-
munity that he established during his cam-
IRS Statistics of Income
paign. One sees evidence in his words and actions,
While this month’s science
whether looking at his nominations, new policies,
policy column portrays the
speeches, or science budgets. Highly symbolic was
new administration as being
Obama’s trip to the National Academies on April 27
a positive development for
to deliver a speech about his science policy, a trip that
the federal statistical agencies
Science reported has not been made by a newly elected
and statistics more generally, it
president since President John F. Kennedy.
doesn’t mean everything is going
Funding for research is one of the biggest
our way. The IRS Statistics of Income
issues for scientists, so Obama’s April 27 pledge to
(SOI) Division, for instance, is in danger of losing
devote the equivalent of 3% of the Gross Domestic
control of its information technology (IT) resources.
Product (GDP) to research and development was
ASA President Sally C. Morton has written letters
music to the ears of many researchers. My col-
to many key administration officials regarding the
league Keith Crank has written about funding for
ramifications this would have for SOI as a statistical
science research in the fiscal year 2010 (FY10)
agency, and I have been working with others in the
budget request and in the American Recovery and
community to address the situation.
Reinvestment Act (ARRA—the “Stimulus Bill”)
I learned this spring that the IRS was acting quickly
in his Amstat News columns. So, I will focus here
to take control of SOI’s IT resources, including hard-
on the administration’s perspective on statistical
ware, software, databases, and roughly 80 SOI IT staff
data, in general, and the federal statistical agencies,
(e.g., economists, statisticians, systems analysts, pro-
based largely on speeches during the May 8 sym-
grammers, database administrators). Part of the IRS’s
posium on the federal statistical system, co-hosted
motivation is data security and compliance with the
by the National Academies Committee on National
Federal Information Security Management Act of
Statistics (CNSTAT) and the American Academy
2002 (FISMA).
of Political and Social Science and cosponsored by
In response, Morton’s letters to Director of the
the ASA. (See the summary of the symposium by
Office of Management and Budget Peter Orszag, IRS
Howard Silver of COSSA on Page 10.)
Commissioner Douglas Shulman, Treasury Secretary
Lawrence Geithner, and others acknowledged the
OMB’s Peter Orszag
security concerns, but also highlighted confidential-
Beyond funding for research, science’s influence is
ity issues, the safeguards for which are set forth in the
permeating the administration through Obama’s
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical
leadership, appointments, and policies. Peter
Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA).
Orszag, the director of the Office of Management
Morton urged that the Statistics of Income Division
and Budget, is an excellent case in point. Orszag
be allowed “to maintain authority over its IT functions
gave the opening presentation, titled “Federal
and personnel so it can continue to perform its work
Statistics in a Science-Driven Administration,” at
effectively and efficiently.” Emphasizing “the respect
the May 8 symposium.
for confidentiality, in reality and perception [being]
Orszag’s speech manifested the support of this
of paramount importance to federal statistical agen-
administration for the federal statistical agencies, and
cies and programs,” Morton expressed the concern
statistical data more generally, at many levels. Most
that “IT centralization could jeopardize any CIPSEA
impressive for me was that he made the appear-
pledges SOI makes, as well as significantly degrade its
ance the day after the release of the annual budget
Sidebar continued on next page
JULY 2009 AMSTAT NEWS 29
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84