A Bureaucratic Theory of Statistics
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arXiv
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| _version_ | 1866913637837307904 |
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| author | Recht, Benjamin |
| author_facet | Recht, Benjamin |
| contents | This commentary proposes a framework for understanding the role of statistics in policy-making, regulation, and bureaucratic systems. I introduce the concept of "ex ante policy," describing statistical rules and procedures designed before data collection to govern future actions. Through examining examples, particularly clinical trials, I explore how ex ante policy serves as a calculus of bureaucracy, providing numerical foundations for governance through clear, transparent rules. The ex ante frame obviates heated debates about inferential interpretations of probability and statistical tests, p-values, and rituals. I conclude by calling for a deeper appreciation of statistics' bureaucratic function and suggesting new directions for research in policy-oriented statistical methodology. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_03457 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | A Bureaucratic Theory of Statistics Recht, Benjamin Other Statistics This commentary proposes a framework for understanding the role of statistics in policy-making, regulation, and bureaucratic systems. I introduce the concept of "ex ante policy," describing statistical rules and procedures designed before data collection to govern future actions. Through examining examples, particularly clinical trials, I explore how ex ante policy serves as a calculus of bureaucracy, providing numerical foundations for governance through clear, transparent rules. The ex ante frame obviates heated debates about inferential interpretations of probability and statistical tests, p-values, and rituals. I conclude by calling for a deeper appreciation of statistics' bureaucratic function and suggesting new directions for research in policy-oriented statistical methodology. |
| title | A Bureaucratic Theory of Statistics |
| topic | Other Statistics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.03457 |