Both progressives and conservatives have sound reasons to support better data collection on public-sector unions, whose members constitute half of the American labor movement. Progressives believe that public-sector unions can uplift workers, push back against big business, and ensure a more equal society. Conservatives believe that they impose excessive costs on taxpayers and induce bureaucratic sclerosis.
The trouble with these contending views is that, without good data, it’s hard to apply the tools of social science that might help settle the debate—if indeed such ideologically charged issues can be settled. As things stand, much of the data cited in the press to support one side or the other is misleading.
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