Data can show if government programs work or not, but the Trump administration is suppressing the necessary information
- Written by Sarah James, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Gonzaga University
The U.S. has the highest rate of maternal mortality[1] among developed nations. Since 1987, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has administered the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System to better understand when, where and why maternal deaths occur.
In April 2025, the Trump administration put the department in charge of collecting and tracking this data on leave[2].
It’s just one example of how the administration is deleting and disrupting American data[3] of all kinds.
The White House is also collecting less information about everything from how many Americans have health insurance[4] to the number of students enrolled in public schools[5], and making government-curated data of all kinds[6] off-limits to the public. President Donald Trump is also trying to get rid of entire agencies, like the Department of Education[7], that are responsible for collecting important data tied to poverty and inequality.
His administration has also begun deleting websites and respositories[8] that share government data with the public.
Why data is essential for the safety net
I study the role that data plays in political decision-making, including when and how government officials decide to collect it. Through years of research[9], I’ve found that good data is essential – not just for politicians, but for journalists, advocates and voters. Without it, it’s much harder to figure out when a policy is failing[10], and even more difficult to help people who aren’t politically well connected.
Since Trump was sworn in for a second time, I have been keeping an eye on the disruption, removal and defunding of data[11] on safety net programs such as food assistance[12] and services for people with disabilities[13].
I believe that disrupting data collection will make it harder to figure out who qualifies for these programs, or what happens when people lose their benefits. I also think that all this missing data will make it harder for supporters of safety net programs to rebuild them in the future.
Why the government collects this data
There’s no way to find out whether policies and programs are working without credible data collected over a long period of time.
For example, without a system to accurately measure how many people need help putting food on their tables, it’s hard to figure out how much the country should spend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program[14], formerly known as food stamps, the federal supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, known as WIC[15], and related programs. Data on Medicaid eligibility and enrollment before and after the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 offers another example. National data showed that millions of Americans gained health insurance coverage[16] after the ACA was rolled out.
Many institutions and organizations, such as universities[17], news organizations[18], think tanks[19], and nonprofits focused on particular issues like poverty and inequality[20] or housing[21], collect data on the impact of safety net policies on low-income Americans.
No doubt these nongovernmental data collection efforts will continue, and maybe even increase. However, it’s highly unlikely that these independent efforts can replace any of the government’s data collection programs – let alone all of them.
The government, because it takes the lead in implementing official policies, is in a unique position to collect and store sensitive data collected over long periods of time. That’s why the disappearance of thousands of official websites[22] can have very long-term consequences.
What makes Trump’s approach stand out
The Trump administration’s pausing, defunding and suppressing of government data marks a big departure from his predecessors.
As early as the 1930s[23], U.S. social scientists and local policymakers realized the potential for data to show which policies were working and which were a waste of money. Since then, policymakers across the political spectrum have grown increasingly interested in using data to make government work better.
This focus on data grew starting in 2001, when President George W. Bush made holding government accountable to measurable outcomes[24] a top priority.
He saw data as a powerful tool[25] for reducing waste and assessing policy outcomes. His signature education reform, the No Child Left Behind Act[26], radically expanded the collection and reporting[27] of student achievement data at K-12 public schools.
How this contrasts with the Obama and Biden administrations
Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden[29] emphasized the importance of data for evaluating the impact of their policies on low-income people, who have historically had little political clout.
Obama initiated a working group to identify ways to collect, analyze and incorporate more useful data[30] into safety net policies. Biden implemented several of the group’s suggestions[31].
For example, he insisted on the collection of demographic data and its analysis when assessing the impacts of new safety net policies. This approach shaped how his administration handled changes in home loan practices, the expansion of broadband access and the establishment of outreach programs for enrolling people in Medicaid and Medicare.
Why rebuilding will be hard
It’s harder to make a case for safety net programs when you don’t have relevant data. For example, programs that help low-income people see a doctor[32], get fresh food[33] and find housing[34] can be more cost-effective than simply having them continue to live in poverty.
Blocking data collection may also make restoring government funding after a program gets cut[35] or shut down even more challenging. That’s because it will be more challenging for people who in the past benefited from these programs to persuade their fellow taxpayers that there is a need for investing in a expanding program or creating a new one.
Without enough data, even well-intended policies in the future may worsen the very problems they’re meant to fix, long after the Trump administration has concluded.
References
- ^ highest rate of maternal mortality (www.propublica.org)
- ^ collecting and tracking this data on leave (www.statnews.com)
- ^ administration is deleting and disrupting American data (www.404media.co)
- ^ how many Americans have health insurance (www.ctel.org)
- ^ the number of students enrolled in public schools (www.propublica.org)
- ^ government-curated data of all kinds (www.npr.org)
- ^ get rid of entire agencies, like the Department of Education (apnews.com)
- ^ begun deleting websites and respositories (www.washingtonpost.com)
- ^ Through years of research (scholar.google.com)
- ^ when a policy is failing (global.oup.com)
- ^ disruption, removal and defunding of data (www.cnn.com)
- ^ food assistance (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ people with disabilities (www.washingtonpost.com)
- ^ Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (cssp.org)
- ^ known as WIC (www.nwica.org)
- ^ millions of Americans gained health insurance coverage (theconversation.com)
- ^ universities (www.jchs.harvard.edu)
- ^ news organizations (www.theatlantic.com)
- ^ think tanks (www.cbpp.org)
- ^ poverty and inequality (www.clasp.org)
- ^ housing (nlihc.org)
- ^ disappearance of thousands of official websites (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ As early as the 1930s (cssh.northeastern.edu)
- ^ holding government accountable to measurable outcomes (georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov)
- ^ He saw data as a powerful tool (georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov)
- ^ No Child Left Behind Act (www.npr.org)
- ^ radically expanded the collection and reporting (www.ed.gov)
- ^ Alex Wong/Getty Images) (www.gettyimages.com)
- ^ Barack Obama and Joe Biden (www2.census.gov)
- ^ collect, analyze and incorporate more useful data (obamawhitehouse.archives.gov)
- ^ Biden implemented several of the group’s suggestions (bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov)
- ^ see a doctor (www.doi.org)
- ^ get fresh food (doi.org)
- ^ find housing (doi.org)
- ^ after a program gets cut (www.washingtonpost.com)
