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How Statistics Lost Their Power – and Why We Should Fear What Comes Next
Article

How Statistics Lost Their Power – and Why We Should Fear What Comes Next

The Guardian, 2017

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Overview

Recommendation

Statistics were once the authority on facts, but society has grown increasingly wary of them, especially of their use in politics. Sociologist and political economist William Davies explains what led to statistics’ fall from grace. He considers statistics in the context of their history and offers an opinion on why big data analysis can’t replace the service statistics provide for democracy. 

Take-Aways

  • Many people feel that statistics don’t represent the complexity of modern society. 
  • Historically, statistics developed as a simple means for assessing the health of a nation. 
  • The rise of digitization has introduced an age of big data. Companies collect data as individuals go about their lives – often without their knowledge. 

About the Author

Sociologist and political economist William Davies wrote The Limits of Neoliberalism and The Happiness Industry.