Democracy's Data

From the historian Dan Bouk, a lesson in reading between the lines of the U.S. census to uncover the stories behind the data.The census isn’t simply data; it’s a ritual of American democracy. And ...

From the historian Dan Bouk, a lesson in reading between the lines of the U.S. census to uncover the stories behind the data.The census isn’t simply data; it’s a ritual of American democracy. And behind every neat grid of numbers is a messy human story—you just have to know how to read it.In Democracy’s Data, the data historian Dan Bouk examines the crucial 1940 census, uncovering what those numbers both condense and cleverly abstract: a universe of meaning and uncertainty, of cultural negotiation and political struggle. He introduces us to the individuals employed as census takers, bringing u