America’s Pulse is built on data that comes directly from federal agencies responsible for collecting information from all 50 states. These agencies follow uniform federal definitions and standards, require states to report using consistent methods, and subject that reporting to verification through audits, independent cross-checks, and public transparency requirements. Every measure we use must meet these safeguards, ensuring the information is comparable across states and trustworthy over time.

Because we rely on official federal sources, the accuracy of America’s Pulse matches the accuracy of the underlying government reports – we report exactly what the agencies themselves are required to report. The tradeoff is that federal datasets are not always updated as quickly as we might wish. Even so, we always use the most current, federally verified numbers available.

This multi-layered system doesn’t make the data perfect – but it does make it the most reliable, standardized, and comprehensive picture of state-level performance that exists today. And that’s what allows America’s Pulse to give citizens a clear, consistent, fact-based view of where their state stands and where progress is needed.

Here are the agencies where we collect the data:

• U.S. Census Bureau

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control

• U.S. Department of Commerce

• U.S. Department of Education

• U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

• U.S. Department of Justice

• U.S. Department of Labor

• U.S. Energy Administration

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• U.S. Internal Revenue Service