Citation

Salvo JJ, Lobo AP. Ann. Am. Acad. Polit. Soc. Sci. 2010; 631(1): 75-88.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0002716210374414

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Federal data are crucial to state and local governments, enabling them to assess the level of need in a community, to establish appropriate funding levels for programs, and to implement programs in a cost-effective manner. This article first demonstrates how data from the decennial census and American Community Survey have been used by a local government—New York City’s—to identify and target the population eligible for public health insurance but not enrolled. It then examines critical data issues that need to be resolved if local governments are to continue to receive data of the highest quality.