When looking at data, you may hear or read the phrase normalization. Simply put, normalization is transforming a set of data so that they may be compared in a meaningful way. Still sounds geeky? Although you may not realize it, you use normalized data all the time. The latest Data Wednesday walks you through an example using familiar information: unemployment numbers.

National Priorities Project executive director Jo Comerford examines the discretionary portion of the President's proposed federal budget. Don't remember the difference between discretionary and mandatory spending? Refresh your memory here!

To date, Data Wednesday has focused on the mechanics of using NPP’s Federal Priorities Database—a collection of information we’ve pulled from many, many government agencies and compiled into an easy-to-use search tool. Beginning next week, we’ll focus less on how-to and more on the concepts important to making sense of ...

National Priorities Project examines the president's new budget, and why it matters.

Senior research analyst Chris Hellman examines the cost of war up to this point, and looks at what will be changing in the next few years.    

Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq, National Priorities Project has tracked the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Recent events including the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq and the winding down of the troop “surge” in Afghanistan have led to the question – what’s going to ...

The latest Data Wednesday installment shows you how to embed the Federal Priorities Database interactive map right into your own website.

Colorado residents will caucus today to decide their pick for the Republican nominee for president. Choosing a presidential candidate in part means caucus-goers will consider how they want the government to spend their federal tax dollars. National Priorities Project took a look at how much Colorado residents currently pay in ...

Senior research analyst Mattea Kramer examines federal spending in Colorado ahead of the state's Feb. 6th caucus to decide its Republican nominee for president.  

Last week Defense Secretary Leon Panetta offered up a preview of the Pentagon’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget request. The request for FY2013 is projected at $525 billion for the Pentagon’s annual “base” budget, not including war costs and the nuclear weapons-related activities of the Department of Energy.Adjusted for inflation this ...