Data Usage Information and Connecting With Data Users: U.S. Mandates and Guidance for Government Agency Evidence Building

This article delves into the multifaceted landscape of evidence-based policymaking within the U.S. federal government. Specifically, it examines the key components of the Foundations of Evidence-Based Policy Act of 2018, the subsequent presidential Executive Orders and U.S. Office of Management and Budget Memoranda aimed at promoting evidence-based practices, federal mandates for agencies to engage with data users, the value of interactions between agencies and data users, and the potential implications of those interactions for the future of evidence-based policy. By tracing the historical context of evidence-based policy initiatives and the drive toward greater access to both confidential and open data from government agencies, this article presents a comprehensive overview of the evolution, challenges, and promises of evidence-based policymaking in the contemporary era.