Cato Institute Vice President for Economic and Social Policy Studies Alex Nowrasteh and Director of Tax Policy Studies Adam Michel have written a new piece on President Trump firing Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Erika McEntarfer and nominating E.J. Antoni to take her place.

Trump’s nomination of E.J. Antoni to the BLS has spotlighted how it and other government statistical agencies are vulnerable to politicization, the authors say:

“Dishonestly manipulating statistics for political gain, whether by government or private actors, is harmful and should be categorically rejected. However, the very fact that we are debating the political neutrality of official data should be a warning sign and a call to action. More government functions ought to be devolved to the market to protect them from political winds, outright corruption, and institutional decay.

Ending the BLS and other government statistical agencies would likely improve the quality of economic information, encourage innovation, and reduce government-caused economic distortions. Devolving these functions to private markets would insulate them from the political corruption, congressional funding battles, and institutional rot that accompany centralized control.”

You can read the full piece here. If you would like to speak with Michel or Nowrasteh, please contact pr@​cato.​org to set up an interview.