The Perils of Data-Driven Politics

Numbers reveal a lot, but they do not contain the whole truth.

Data analysis was back in fashion again this spring, with a nation hanging on the shape of infection curves and the reliability of predictive mathematical models. Then, it was back out of fashion, as the lockdowns of March gave way to the primal street violence of May. Both experiences should humble our view of the power of data.

Using data to inform the tasks of making public policy and persuading voters of its merits is a good thing,...