NORC's David Dutwin on How Americans Use and Think about Federal Data

Send us Fan MailThe 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-coalitionThe 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/supportusFollow the Data Foundation on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/datafoundation