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Abstract: This commentary proposes a framework for understanding the role of statistics in policy-making, regulation, and bureaucratic systems. I introduce the concept of “ex ante policy,” describing statistical rules and procedures designed before data collection to govern future actions. Through examining examples, particularly clinical trials, I explore how ex ante policy serves as a calculus of bureaucracy, providing numerical foundations for governance through clear, transparent rules. The ex ante frame obviates heated debates about inferential interpretations of probability and statistical tests, p-values, and rituals. I conclude by calling for a deeper appreciation of statistics’ bureaucratic function and suggesting new directions for research in policy-oriented statistical methodology.
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The Relationships between Data, Power, and Justice in CSCW Research
Many decisions about social, economic, and personal life are heavily data-driven. At the same time, data has become increasingly quantified, and available to people and institutions in positions of power, often with little introspection or reflection on its positive uses or harmful misuses. This panel will inspect CSCW’s role in identifying constructive and appropriate uses of data and its responsibility for protecting against harms and inequalities perpetuated by misuse. The panel will present a series of debates about quantification of data, data surveillance, organizational data use, and policy making. An overarching theme throughout the set of debates is interrogating CSCW’s role in extending critical scholarship on power and justice towards academic, policy, and industry impact.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1850517
- PAR ID:
- 10180019
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- CSCW'19 Companion
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 102 to 105
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1145/3311957.3358609
