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February, 2017 | CQ Press

Little Bites of Big Data for Public Policy


Donald F. Kettl
- University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
96 pages | February, 2017 | CQ Press
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ISBN: 9781506383514
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ISBN: 9781506383521
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Instant Access!
eBook
ISBN: 9781506383514
“Kettl’s easy-to-read book and various examples of big data application are required reading for seasoned academics as well as for students who work in public administration and want to contribute to real-world problem solving.”
–Junghack Kim, Wichita State University

Little Bites of Big Data for Public Policy
brings to life the quest to make better policy with better evidence. This brief book frames the big puzzles and, through lively stories and clear examples, provides a valuable how-to guide for producing analysis that works—that speaks persuasively to policy makers, in the language they can best hear, on the problems for which they most need answers. Author Donald F. Kettl brings together the cutting-edge streams of data analytics and data visualization to frame the big puzzles and find ways to make the pieces fit together. By taking little bites of a wide variety of useful data, and then by analyzing it in ways that decision makers will find most helpful, analysts can be much more effective in shaping solutions to the most important problems governments face. 

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author

Doing without Knowing (Everything)
The Law of Supply and Demand
Making Evidence Speak

What Are the Right Questions?
What Is a Good Answer?

Filters
Seeing Data
Making Data Speak

Anecdotes
Mediating Information
Making the Sale

How to Know What We Know
Speaking above the Noise
Index
KEY FEATURES:
  • The book lays out a framework for thinking about the role that data plays—and how to make it persuasive to busy decision makers.
  • The book contains many rich charts and graphs that demonstrate how data can be presented—and made useful—to supply answers to the problems for which decision makers have powerful demands.
  • The book has a wealth of specific examples and case studies that bring analysis of data to life, in ways that are lively, engaging, and accessible—even for people who don’t think they like data!