But What Does the Data Say?

An introduction to a new series

I love data, and the research it requires. I first developed my passion for rigorous methodology in undergraduate laboratories, and eventually I merged that background with my interest in politics, a space where having the right data should be essential but rarely is.

Treating coding as both a hobby and tool for data analysis, I use Python for statistical modeling and data visualization. Not long after launching this publication, I began engaging with readers across the political spectrum. Being a socialist, most of the criticism came from the right. While the conversations frequently devolved into superficial insults and logical fallacies, I occasionally entered good-faith discussions with people who were interested in evidence.

To ground those debates in reality, I began pulling macro-level statistics directly from primary global databases like the World Bank, the OECD, and the IMF. While the data told one story in dense, sprawling spreadsheet form, plotting the variables in Python told a completely different one. That’s when I realized what originally started as a tool for personal use could benefit everyone.

That structural story is what I plan to share.

“But What Does the Data Say?” will apply rigorous data analytics to our most common, high-stakes policy debates. We will cut through the partisan talking points and simply let the regressions point the way. Let’s go where the data takes us!

Below will be a list of each entry in the series.

1. But What Does the Data Say? Where America Stands