Overview

Highly original and insightful, Billig and Marinho's book investigates how politicians misuse official statistics. Setting this problem in its historical context – and offering vivid case studies of Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and Gérald Darmanin – the authors demonstrate that the manipulation of statistics involves the misuse of words as well as the misuse of numbers. Most importantly, the authors show that politicians will manipulate official statisticians to produce politically convenient, but statistically inappropriate, numbers. Another unique part of the book is that the authors are not content with analysing how statistics are manipulated, but they also rigorously analyse the efforts of statistical agencies in France and Britain to combat such manipulation. The chapters herald unsung heroes who operate largely 'behind the scenes' to expose and oppose the corruption of statistics. An indispensable read for anyone concerned with the intersection of power and data.

Full Product Details

9781009488167

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Michael Billig is Emeritus Professor at Loughborough University. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and received the British Psychological Society's 2023 award for Lifetime Achievement. Cristina Marinho is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh. Together with Michael Billig, she is the author of The Politics and Rhetoric of Commemoration (2017).

Tab Content 6

Countries Available