Accountability is Patriotism

Fighting Human Entropy Using Data

Today's bonus Data 4 Thought has no data. Well, it references the entire week of data journalism at D4TP, our Accountability is Patriotism series. But today, as promised, I wrap up this series with an editorial bow.

So, what have we learned this week?

We started the week by exploring our interactive child poverty data visualization. As America turns 250, we wanted to dig into child poverty within school districts on Native lands. Across 144 of these districts, the median child poverty rate was 22.4%. For the rest of the country, it was 12.4%.

Next, we investigated the complex spreadsheet math the USDA calls the Thrifty Food Plan, the "proof" that people living on government food assistance should be able to eat a healthy, balanced diet. We found that over 1,000 foods on the list were prescribed in quantities smaller than you could actually buy in real life.

We then turned to JobsOhio, the state's unconventional attempt to build a nonprofit funded by liquor sale proceeds, tasked with spurring job growth in 103 key industries. Twelve years after the program was funded (and several scandals in), it had never released public benchmarking data to show whether it delivered on its goals. So we did the math the state should have done.

On Thursday, we lightened things up with a look at the affordability crisis America 250 finds itself in. We calculated how much a "cheap" date cost back in 1966 and compared it to the same date today. It went from $7 to $97. Then we figured out how many federal minimum-wage hours you'd have to work to pay for it, 60 years apart. Back then, 6 hours. Today, 13.

And the grand finale was a look behind the magic trick Uncle Sam is pulling off right in front of our eyes: making our country's crude oil disappear. We drew attention to the absurd fact that the U.S. continues to export record amounts of crude oil even as its crude inventories sit at a 43-year low.

What connects all these stories is what they all lack: accountability. In each case, the people we've entrusted to lead and protect the people of this country have abdicated that responsibility.

Two hundred fifty years ago, the men who declared independence were fighting for what they called unalienable rights, that all are created equal, and entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But their idea of who counted has drifted over time. Or, more likely, it was never as broad in practice as the words suggested. Even so, those words set a north star for this melting pot we call the United States. We've made real progress toward it. Yet we live in precarious times, when it feels like we're actively trying to unwind that progress.

There's a concept in science called entropy. Left alone, a closed system drifts toward disorder. Order isn't the natural default; it has to be built and maintained with a steady input of energy. The work never ends. When our founders declared that all are created equal and entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, there was no asterisk in the fine print reading *so long as they're white, native-born (but not too native-born), and wealthy. But in practice, that asterisk is exactly what we're living under. Why? It isn't that we've stopped putting in the work. It's that the force of entropy has gotten stronger.

But here's the thing. Our tools have gotten stronger too. So what is Data 4 The People? It's simply fighting entropy with the latest data tools we can conjure. With today's technology, it's never been easier to bring people together, to really "see" others, understand them, and over time broaden your definition of THE PEOPLE. But we have to wake up each day and choose to do it. We have to choose to fight the ubiquitous, oh-so-glorious distractions (money, power, toys, status, gambling, scrolling, and a million more things) that keep us disconnected from each other.

I'm optimistic, though, because I see how technology can be used by people who want to see, learn, understand, and connect. Data 4 The People is far from alone in its work. Data 4 Good initiatives are popping up everywhere. Our collective work will grow like a virus. We may not get attention for it, because good news doesn't sell ads. But we're growing, quietly but surely. And our efforts will overwhelm the raging fire of hatred, greed, and ignorance, and start to fill the void of accountability and true patriotism.

And we can include you. In 2026, anyone can use data to search for the truth with a desire to understand and connect. You just have to choose that path.

If you're inspired by this, and have a story to tell using data, reach out to us. We'll help you.

I'll see you on the path.

With much love and gratitude,

~ Eric