“10 Databases You Can Use Today” presentation from Reynolds Week 2016 by Steve Doig and Evan Wyloge

1. (More than) 10 Databases
You Can Use Today
Steve Doig
Cronkite School

2. FOREIGN TRADE

8. MEDICAL DATA

11. LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT

16. CONSUMER PRICES

18. WELFARE

20. STATE/LOCAL ECONOMY

25. SPORTS ECONOMICS

27. INTERNATIONAL DATA

29. DATA ARCHIVES

35. Steve Doig (@sdoig)
and
Evan Wyloge (@evanwyloge)
(More than) 10 databases
to use in your reporting
right away

36. Bureau of Economic Analysis
http://www.bea.gov/
Subagency of the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economics and Statistics
Administration
Provides in-depth analysis of key economic metrics
Slices data by industry and different geographies (national, state, metro area, local
area)

37. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Can answer questions like:
What industry has grown/contracted the most in my metro area/state?

38. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Can answer questions like:
What kind of change has there been in personal income or personal expenditures
in my metro area/state?

39. Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics
Part of the Center for Economic Surveys at the U.S. Census Bureau
Combines federal, state and Census Bureau data on employers and employees,
under the Local Employment Dynamics Partnership, producing more granular and
employment data than what’s collected by any of those agencies alone.

40. Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics
Has a nice visual dashboard for exploring the data

41. Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics
Provides links to every state’s LED website

42. Every state does it differently.
In Arizona, the Arizona Corporation Commission keeps the records, and has a
decent online lookup.
But the larger database is available. It includes things like dates, addresses, names
of principals, etc.
Corporate Filings

43. Corporate Filings

44. Registration & Licencing
Often untapped resources.
Remember, if there’s any kind of licensing or registration required for an industry,
there’s a database of information where those are maintained.

45. Registration & Licencing

46. Registration & Licencing
Arizona has some interesting agencies, boards and commissions...

47. Political Influence
Most states provide some kind of public lobbying disclosure, but… they’re all
different, so digging into these requires some legwork.
Arizona provides a lobbyist registration lookup online, but not the actual lobbying
disclosures. Requires a request to the Secretary of State’s office.

48. Learn how to get it, though, and you
should find some interesting stories.
Political Influence

49. Most states provide some kind of campaign finance data, but… again each state is
unique in how it handles the data, so it requires effort to figure out how it’s
maintained and structured.
Arizona’s Secretary of State provides some summary data and PDF reports, but the
good stuff has to be requested.
Political Influence

50. Political Influence

51. Political Influence