The privatization of human misery

Abstract

Government policy in recent years has led to a full understanding of the scope of poverty being eroded from public consciousness. Although research has demonstrated a growth in poverty, in width, depth and concentration, and the mapping of that poverty is far more precise than hitherto, effective poverty research is hampered by two processes. First, government policies have driven many of the poor out of official statis tics. Second, government has increasingly manipulated aspects of the research process, including the compilation and use of official statistics, thereby also obscuring the extent of poverty. This article argues the need for an independent accountable national statistical service.