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  • Textbook
  • © 2021

Data Science for Public Policy

  • Combines anecdotes from public sector experience with technical aspects of field
  • Addresses current topics in ethics and fairness, data product development, and team organization in data science
  • Includes data sets and functioning code examples

Part of the book series: Springer Series in the Data Sciences (SSDS)

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Table of contents (16 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
  2. An Introduction

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 1-4
  3. The Case for Programming

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 5-12
  4. Elements of Programming

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 13-31
  5. Transforming Data

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 33-59
  6. Record Linkage

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 61-82
  7. Exploratory Data Analysis

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 83-112
  8. Regression Analysis

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 113-138
  9. Framing Classification

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 139-162
  10. Three Quantitative Perspectives

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 163-183
  11. Prediction

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 185-215
  12. Cluster Analysis

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 217-235
  13. Spatial Data

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 237-257
  14. Natural Language

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 259-281
  15. The Ethics of Data Science

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 283-297
  16. Developing Data Products

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 299-315
  17. Building Data Teams

    • Jeffrey C. Chen, Edward A. Rubin, Gary J. Cornwall
    Pages 317-330
  18. Back Matter

    Pages 331-363

About this book

This textbook presents the essential tools and core concepts of data science to public officials, policy analysts, and economists among others in order to further their application in the public sector. An expansion of the quantitative economics frameworks presented in policy and business schools, this book emphasizes the process of asking relevant questions to inform public policy. Its techniques and approaches emphasize data-driven practices, beginning with the basic programming paradigms that occupy the majority of an analyst’s time and advancing to the practical applications of statistical learning and machine learning. The text considers two divergent, competing perspectives to support its applications, incorporating techniques from both causal inference and prediction. Additionally, the book includes open-sourced data as well as live code, written in R and presented in notebook form, which readers can use and modify to practice working with data.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Jeffrey C. Chen

  • Department of Economics, University of Oregon, Eugene, USA

    Edward A. Rubin

  • Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Suitland, USA

    Gary J. Cornwall

About the authors

Jeffrey C. Chen: (1) Affiliated Researcher, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge
Edward A. Rubin: (1) Assistant Professor, University of Oregon (Dept. of Economics)
Gary J. Cornwall: (1) Research Economist, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access