The Missing Data Depot

The Missing Data Depot critically examines American politics, focusing on overlooked aspects within higher education, media, and the workforce. It tackles issues like free speech on campus, the impact of DEI initiatives, ideological biases, the Gen Z mental health crisis, and the validity of social science research.

Free Speech and DEI in Higher Education Liberalism and Illiberalism in Universities Political Climate in Elite Universities Mental Health Crisis among Gen Z Affirmative Action and Diversity in the Workforce Media Bias and Coverage Social Science Research Integrity Military Extremism and Racial Harassment

The hottest Substack posts of The Missing Data Depot

And their main takeaways

Higher Education's "Illiberal Liberalism" Problem

6 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
🚌 Education Political Ideology Protests
  1. Illiberal liberalism is a problem in higher education, with a small but significant number of illiberal liberals disrupting campus speech and events.
  2. Liberal students tend to be more open to illiberal behaviors to block speech they disagree with compared to conservative students.
  3. The presence of illiberal liberalism on campus is linked to an increase in attempts to deplatform speakers and disrupt campus events.

Unpacking The "Gen Z" Mental Health Crisis

3 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Gender Sexuality Education
  1. Conservatism and participation in core institutions like marriage, church, and the military are linked to better mental health, but Gen Z is moving away from these beliefs and behaviors.
  2. There is a surge in media coverage and concern about mental health issues among young people, with Gen Z showing a significant decline in mental well-being compared to previous generations.
  3. Factors like gender, sexual orientation, church attendance, marital status, education, military service, and social media use play similar roles in mental health perceptions for both Gen Z and older generations.

Ideology and Intolerance at America's Elite Universities

3 implied HN points • 06 Jul 23
🚌 Education Ideology
  1. America's elite universities have students who are more liberal and democratic than the general population.
  2. Elite university students show a unique pattern of political tolerance - willing to allow controversial speech, but also support disruptive actions to prevent offensive speech.
  3. Despite differences in political values, elite universities produce a disproportionate share of influential individuals who shape the country's central institutions.

Big Tech's Surprisingly Weak Case for Affirmative Action

2 HN points • 14 Oct 22
  1. The cited studies fail to show that increased racial diversity in workforce improves business performance.
  2. The studies do not provide evidence for the necessity of racial diversity in achieving business success.
  3. Most studies suggest that companies may already have sufficient levels of diversity in their workforces.
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A Brief Note on Bad Faith

1 HN point • 21 Nov 22
  1. Media Matters report accused Fox News of using violent crime coverage for political reasons
  2. Comparison of cable news networks' coverage showed Fox News did not focus overly on violent crime
  3. After the election, Fox News decreased violent crime coverage along with other issues, similar to other networks

Does the Military Have a Racial Harassment Problem?

0 implied HN points • 21 Oct 22
  1. The Workplace and Equal Opportunity Survey results can be misinterpreted, leading to inflated perceptions of racial harassment in the military.
  2. Rates of harassment and discrimination in the military are lower compared to the civilian workplace for African Americans and Latinos.
  3. Reports on racial harassment in the military may not accurately represent the sources, with African Americans overrepresented as initiators of harassment and discrimination.

Cherry-Picking in the Endless Orchard of Diversity Studies

0 implied HN points • 28 Jun 22
  1. Evidence-based policymaking may have limitations due to biases in social science research.
  2. Cherry-picking studies to support predetermined policies is not genuine evidence-based policymaking.
  3. Academia's ideological uniformity may lead to overemphasizing benefits and overlooking costs of diversity in research.

Coming soon

0 implied HN points • 23 Nov 21
  1. The Missing Data Depot is a newsletter
  2. It focuses on what's left out of conversations about American politics
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Does the Military Really Have an Extremism Problem?

0 implied HN points • 12 Aug 22
  1. Empirical data on military extremism raises questions about its extent and nature.
  2. The number of criminal military extremists reported may be influenced by changes in reporting practices.
  3. Defining and identifying extremism in the military through data collection has limitations and uncertainties.

On Giant Leaps...

0 implied HN points • 07 Jul 22
  1. Approach findings of peer-reviewed work on diversity with skepticism, as pressures within academia can lead to overstatements of benefits and minimizing of costs.
  2. Military policy decisions are crucial and influence national security, highlighting the importance of using social science research accurately.
  3. Challenges in social science research include balancing internal and external validity, and policymakers must be mindful of the limitations and generalizability of research findings.