Steve Ballmer has always been a numbers guy. When he left Microsoft, he started to dig into our nation’s numbers to get a better picture of where his philanthropic dollars could do the most good and USAFacts was born. In this episode of Beyond the Blue Badge, host Rich Kaplan talks with Steve about USAFacts, big data around some of the nation’s biggest issues from the economy to the elections, from COVID to obesity and why seeing and understanding all the data matters.
USAFacts origin story: In 2014, after leaving Microsoft, “I got really interested in what government really does do with our money,” and creating a 10K for the country that is objective, contextual and comprehensive.
A dangerous game: Using adjectives to describe numbers is always a dangerous game. If the number one goes to number two, some people say it double… It's better to say, one was one percent and now we're at two percent.
Data collection: USAFacts is collecting data from approximately 90 government agencies. “I actually trust government numbers and our statistical agencies. And oh, by the way, it's based on those numbers that government makes its decisions, which is important.”
Showing and telling: Rich data visualization tools let USAFacts website 10 million visitors see the data for themselves.
Elections and debunking fake news: USAFacts’ Voter Center scraped web for data and policy positions for all candidates. The debates were the Superbowl for USAFacts; you may have seen the TV ads. Being nonpartisan, “we'll put out the relevant numbers, and then people can make their own make their own decisions.”
Crunching the COVID numbers: Tracking personal health care story and the economic health story. Collecting data from around the nation for up-to-date data.
The Disney dichotomy: Disney World is open, and Disneyland is not based upon government policy. And, you know, so there's 23,000 people who don't work in California who would work if they lived in Florida. That is interesting.
Old data dilemma: Government data is not always current, yet federal employees are making funding decisions for current and future projects based on old data.
Mr. Ballmer goes to Washington: How a trip to Capitol Hill to share data on everything from obesity to opioid addition enabled bi-partisan discussions. Plus, advocating for a more data-driven government.
Stuck in the middle (class): Demographics are constantly changing and so is the rhetoric around the middle class.
Steve Ballmer talks data and what his nonprofit organization USAFacts is doing.
Before social distancing mandates, Rich Kaplan (left) and Steve Ballmer catch up before a Microsoft Alumni Network event.
For all of the data geeks like Rich and Steve, check out these cool data visualizations from USA Facts: