The politics of representation in the national statistical system: Origins of minority population interest group participation

Abstract

The United States is an "interest group society" and federal statistical policy, like all other aspects of contemporary American political life, is dominated by well-organized interest groups. The public review to revise the "Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity," formerly known as "Statistical Policy Directive 15," was notable for the significant presence of minority population interest groups. The politics of representation in the national statistical system during the 1970s is the subject of this article. The first part of the article summarizes the role that interest groups played in the recent debates on revising Statistical Policy Directive 15. The second part of the article discusses the origins of national statistics on minorities and their efforts during the 1970s to achieve inclusion in the body politic through representation in the federal statistical and administrative reporting systems.