More or Less: Behind the Stats Is the world getting less miserable?
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Oct 4, 2025 In a world seemingly filled with gloom, new data suggests there’s a global trend of increasing optimism and improved living conditions. Tim Harford chats with Gallup's Benedict Vigers about the positive findings from the Gallup World Poll. Despite local pessimism, it appears more people around the globe are thriving and hopeful for the future. The conversation dives into what these statistics mean for our understanding of progress and well-being in modern society.
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Sudden Loss Of Government Data
- In February 2025, thousands of US government webpages and datasets disappeared from public access.
- Tim Harford highlights this as a data crisis caused by policy changes and removals.
Websites Taken Down To Avoid Policy Risk
- Executive orders prompted entire agency websites to be taken down to avoid policy conflicts.
- Maggie Levenstein explains agencies removed sites fearing inconsistency with new directives.
Staff Cuts Destroy Data Access
- Staff cuts and budget reductions halted data production and access across agencies.
- Maggie Levenstein warns that firing data staff and cutting budgets makes access impossible.