Data for the People!

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On the latest episode of Data for the People!, Claire McKay Bowen discusses the role federal statistics play in our daily lives, strategies for communicating the value of government data, and her vision for the future of data sharing and data privacy. 
Bowen is a data privacy expert who is currently a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, an adjunct professor at Stonehill College, and a board member with the Association of Public Data Users (APDU). Last year, she co-authored a series of blogs for APDU about the manifold ways federal statistics inform routine decisions for Americans, how federal data is like the “forgotten egg” used to bake a cake, and what educators can do to teach K-12 students the origins and importance of U.S. federal data. 
Bowen also discusses a recent article she wrote for the Journal of Economic Perspectives titled "Government Data of the People, by the People, for the People: Navigating Citizen and Privacy Concerns." 
The Data Foundation is currently reviewing submissions for the People’s Data 100, an initiative to recognize federal datasets providing the greatest value to Americans. The conversation with Bowen is part of our broader effort throughout 2026 to spotlight the strategic data infrastructure that powers daily life in the U.S., from protecting public health to enabling scientific discovery to safeguarding taxpayer-funded benefit programs.  
In the spirit of the initiative, learn more about the AirNow system that supports the Air Quality index provided by BreezoMeter on the iPhone's weather app. AirNow is a partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Park Service, NASA, the Centers for Disease Control, and tribal, state, and local air quality agencies.
Want to be part of a national community that promotes policies that enable government data to be high-quality, accessible, and usable? Join our Data Coalition: https://datafoundation.org/pages/join-the-data-coalition
The Data Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank. All contributions may be tax deductible. We appreciate all charitable contributions towards fulfilling our mission to make democratic society better for everyone by championing the use of open data and evidence-informed public policy. Donate: https://datafoundation.org/supportus
Follow the Data Foundation on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/datafoundation

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The latest episode of Data for the People! features David Dutwin, executive director and senior vice president of AmeriSpeak, a panel-based research platform from NORC at the University of Chicago. Dutwin joins the show to discuss Americans’ trust in federal statistics, science, institutions, and one another.
Learn more about the American Statistical Association's The Nation's Data at Risk: 2025 Report, which includes analyses of AmeriSpeak survey panel data on Americans' perceptions and use of federal statistics. 
Learn more about the People's Data 100 initiative and nominate a federal dataset providing great value to daily life in the United States before the February 28, 2026 deadline. 
In the spirit of the People's Data 100 initiative, here are links where listeners can learn more about two national datasets Dutwin references in the interview: 
The General Social Survey (GSS), which Dutwin calls "a mirror into the soul of Americans."  This federally funded survey has been tracking American attitudes, values, and social trends since 1972. 
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a collaboration between state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that uses health-related telephone surveys to collect state data about U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. In the interview, Dutwin gives the example of how Americans might see a statistic on TV about the rate of asthma among adults in a given state, which would likely come from the BRFSS. 
Want to be part of a national community that promotes policies that enable government data to be high-quality, accessible, and usable? Join our Data Coalition: https://datafoundation.org/pages/join-the-data-coalition
The Data Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank. All contributions may be tax deductible. We appreciate all charitable contributions towards fulfilling our mission to make democratic society better for everyone by championing the use of open data and evidence-informed public policy. Donate: https://datafoundation.org/supportus
Follow the Data Foundation on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/datafoundation

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In the inaugural episode of Data for the People!, J.B. Wogan (host) and Nick Hart (President and CEO of the Data Foundation) discuss the Data Foundation's mission to promote open data and evidence-informed policymaking. They introduce Bill Hoagland, Senior Vice President at the Bipartisan Policy Center, who talks about the federal government's use of data and evidence for decision-making and strategies to rebuild public trust in government and scientific institutions. Hoagland reflects on his experiences with the Congressional Budget Office, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and the Senate Budget Committee, highlighting the evolving data infrastructure and the importance of objective, high-quality information in public policy. The episode also discusses key national data sets and federal initiatives like the Evidence Act aimed at improving the data ecosystem.
[IMPORTANT TIMESTAMP: The interview with Bill Hoagland took place on January 21, 2026 while Congress continued to deliberate over a spending deal to fund most of the federal government through the end of Fiscal Year 2026.]
Learn more about the People's Data 100 and nominate a federal dataset that provides great value to the American people: www.PeoplesData100.org. 
00:00 Introduction to the Data for the People! Podcast
00:36 What is the Data Foundation?
01:44 Why is the Data Foundation Launching a Podcast?
03:58 Introducing Bill Hoagland
11:45 Bill Hoagland's Career Journey
19:15 The Importance of Data in Public Policy
25:00 Rebuilding Trust in Government and Science
34:10 The People's Data 100 Initiative
36:32 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Want to be part of a national community that promotes policies that enable government data to be high-quality, accessible, and usable? Join our Data Coalition: https://datafoundation.org/pages/join-the-data-coalition
The Data Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank. All contributions may be tax deductible. We appreciate all charitable contributions towards fulfilling our mission to make democratic society better for everyone by championing the use of open data and evidence-informed public policy. Donate: https://datafoundation.org/supportus
Follow the Data Foundation on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/datafoundation

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Every day, millions of Americans rely on federal data—often without realizing it. From checking the weather forecast to planning retirement, from tracking disease outbreaks to measuring economic growth, government datasets power decisions that shape our daily lives and drive billions in economic activity.
Welcome to Data for the People!, a new podcast from the Data Foundation that shines a light on this essential but often overlooked infrastructure. Hosted by J.B. Wogan, each episode features conversations with leaders from the public and private sectors about the national datasets that belong to the American people and the policy changes in Washington that could enhance—or limit—their use.

Want to be part of a national community that promotes policies that enable government data to be high-quality, accessible, and usable? Join our Data Coalition: https://datafoundation.org/pages/join-the-data-coalition
The Data Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank. All contributions may be tax deductible. We appreciate all charitable contributions towards fulfilling our mission to make democratic society better for everyone by championing the use of open data and evidence-informed public policy. Donate: https://datafoundation.org/supportus
Follow the Data Foundation on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/datafoundation