The Four Questions Every Political Claim Owes You

Launch desk note: This sample presents a verification checklist, not a verdict on a current officeholder or campaign.

Political statistics rarely arrive alone. They bring a timeframe, definition, baseline, and denominator—even when the podium forgets to mention them.

Compared with what?

A change can look enormous beside a carefully chosen low point and ordinary beside a longer trend. Ask for the starting value, ending value, and reason those dates were selected.

Who is counted?

National totals can hide regional or demographic differences. Survey results depend on the population sampled. Program figures depend on eligibility and enrollment definitions.

Is it nominal, real, gross, or net?

Dollar claims may or may not adjust for inflation. Job counts may report gross additions without departures. Policy savings may describe a projected future baseline rather than money already spent.

Can another reader reproduce it?

A real citation should lead to a table, report, filing, transcript, or dataset—not merely another person repeating the same number with better lighting.