Name: Cheyenne Schutz Public Administration
Spring 2021 SCC POL 221:20
Professor Anthony J. DePetris
Exam #4
1. On pages 334-336 is a blog post from Donald Kettl entitled, “What’s the Big Deal about Big
Data?” According to Kettl what is the big deal about big data? List and describe the 10 aspects of big
data according to him. Do you agree with his conclusion?
According to Kettl, “big data” is a big deal because it is the center of an important effort to transform
the health of the federal government and improve the outcomes of federal programs. Ten aspects of big data
according to Kettl are,
1. The supply of data has exploded. Everything that government does, from the cost of healthcare to
state of the environment, is simply awash in numbers, as never before.
2. More data is springing up in the private sector, both through the investment of private companies
and through explosive growth of social media.
3. More data are available in real time. Everything from street cameras to personal information,
government officials everywhere can see what’s happening, here and now.
4. More of the data are granular, connected to the actual operations of programs. It’s possible to drill
down from broad policy to actual results, and to track what’s actually happening now.
