VisWeek: Graphics and Infographics

Graphics, Infographics, and Data Visualization: An Economist’s Call for Better Visuals

Jonathan A. SchwabishCongressional Budget Office

[email protected]@jschwabish

October 2012

The views expressed in this presentation are those of the author and should not be interpreted as those of the Congressional Budget Office.

Graphics produced by economists, policy and budget analysts, government agencies… can be better

Social Security Administration

Klerman and Danielson, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2011

Social Security Administration

Government Accountability Office

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

Bailey, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2012

Chinn 2011, LaFollette School WP No. 2012-006

Sala, Soderstrom, and Trigara, NBER WP No. 18434, 2012

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Bureau of Economic Analysis

U.S. Census Bureau

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

U.S. Department of the Treasury

Hanson, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Spring 2012

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Gokhale, Social Security: A Fresh Look at Policy Alternatives, 2010

Social Security Advisory Board

Modrek and Cullen, 14th Annual Joint Conference of the Retirement Research Consortium

Sum = 98% Sum = 100%Social Security

Administration

Holden and Fontes, Journal of Women, Politics, & Policy, 2009

Focus

Expertise

Knowledge

•Member of CongressWants to get specific information on a topic,

a broad overview, quick facts, or bullet points.

• Congressional Staffer Wants to get data quickly. Might be briefing Member on topics outside usual areas of responsibility.

CBO’s Infographic Demographic

CBO’s Infographics:Bring the most importantinformation to the top

Understanding the Fiscal Cliff

10 pages75 pages

The purpose of visualization is insight, not pictures

-Card, Mackinlay and Shneiderman (1999)

Data VisualizationGovernment

Agencies