State and Local Government Statistics at a Crossroads

On the 50th anniversary of the first quinquennial Census of Governments, a National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council panel on research and development priorities for the Census Bureau’s State and Local Government Statistics Program has issued a report that recommends improvements in timeliness, efficiency, relevance, and quality of census data on states and localities. These data are of broad national interest and importance, contributing to understanding of both the U.S. economy and the role that states and local entities play in American federalism. The panel is chaired by Richard P. Nathan, co-director of the Rockefeller Institute.
A set of charts highlighting the work, findings, and recommendations of the panel is available, along with the prepublication text of the panel report. This version of the report will be formally published in hard copy in late October with editorial changes that will not affect the panel’s findings and recommendations. For more information, go to www.rockinst.org.