The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday, Aug. 4, edition that when President Donald Trump disliked the weak jobs numbers released on Friday, he fired the person responsible. A New York Times dispatch to The Globe reports that this unprecedented move in U.S. economic statistics highlights the dangers of political interference in government data. Reliable statistics are crucial for decision-making in both public and private sectors. Fed Chair Jerome Powell says: "Good data helps not just the Fed, it helps the government, but it also helps the private sector. The United States has been a leader in that for 100 years and we really need to continue that in my view." Data from the Bureau of Labour Statistics and other agencies are unlikely to deteriorate dramatically overnight, but experts are now asking uncomfortable questions about the trajectory of economic data in the U.S. Reliable statistics are important for policy making. However, they are also essential to democracy. If society cannot see itself clearly, then it cannot identify its problems. If it cannot identify its problems, then it cannot find the right solutions. It cannot find the right persons to solve these problems.