The federal data California runs on, what it stands to lose, and where California can go from here.
California’s governments, nonprofits, universities, and community organizations depend on federal data every day – often without realizing how much. This project draws on a survey of 126 California data users and more than two dozen in-depth interviews to understand what’s at risk as that federal data becomes less reliable, and what California can do about it.
A few foundations working in California supported this project, and the public release of these findings was funded by the Blue Shield of California Foundation.
See the Results ↓rely on federal data
call it essential to
their work
respondents said they were concerned about losing access to federal data to support their work
Reliance on federal data tops 90% for the four largest sectors in the survey.
See All Findings ↓Key Findings
Key Findings at a Glance
A two-page summary of the project’s core findings.
↓ Download PDFThe Data California Runs On
The complete findings deck, all six sections.
↓ Download PDFThis report draws on a survey of 126 California data users, reflecting a convenience sample rather than a representative one, paired with more than two dozen in-depth interviews with data leaders, state agency staff, civic technologists, and national peers.
Read the full methodology & appendix →Explore the Findings
Each section below mirrors a section of the full deck. Each includes a short intro and a downloadable PDF of just that section’s cards.
The Problem
California runs, in part, on data it doesn’t control – from a source that may no longer be reliable.
Download: card PDF ↓Consequences
What gets lost goes beyond data – credibility, capacity, and neighborhoods left unseen.
Download: card PDF ↓The California Question
California has more people, more resources, and more institutional capacity than any other state. Is all of that actually enough to fill the gap that federal data leaves behind?
Download: card PDF ↓The Trust Dimension
Not every threat to federal data is about disappearance. Some threats are about whether the data can still be believed.
Download: card PDF ↓The Structural Gap
The institutions built to respond to this moment aren’t equipped to handle it yet.
Download: card PDF ↓Opportunities
The building blocks California needs already exist. This section shows how they fit together.
Download: card PDF ↓This work is ongoing.
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