Values Trump Data

When making policy, on what should we base our decisions: values, or data? We have strong values and traditions that inform our political ideology and direction: laws are made, budgets drawn, and our country’s future set. These belief systems are a fundamental aspect of our culture and can provide a strong sense of identity. Longstanding examples of these values include free speech, voting rights, and the right to bear arms, all enshrined in the Bill of Rights. But what if conclusive evidence discredits our values or proves the methods they inspire to be ineffective?

In response, we have two distinct choices: to adhere to tradition regardless, ignoring fact, or to pivot in line with our goals. To pivot is frequently problematic. Beliefs become an integral part of our identity, and in confronting them, we often feel personally challenged. However, if we disregard data when voting, setting budgets, and creating policy, we will fail to realize our objectives.

Let’s use sexuality education as an example. Sexuality curriculum has long been a contentious subject. Controversy centers not on whether we should have programs, but on what type, who should teach them, and whether they should be mandatory (Hyde and Delamater, 528). Since the 1981 Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA), federal funding for sexuality education has been limited for use by abstinence-only programs (530). Limitations on funding enable congress to heavily influence school programs even though they have failed to dictate regional school curriculum (530). Between 1998 and 2003, $899 million of federal funding was provided for abstinence-only programs (530). The sums of money are large, so it is in our interest to make sure that the programs receiving it are effective.

Studies consistently show that abstinence-based programs, such as Teen Aid and Sex Respect, to be ineffectual in preventing pregnancy and exposure to sexually transmitted diseases (531). Contrary to protecting and empowering our children, data even shows that higher rates of teen pregnancy correlate with states that have a greater focus on abstinence policies (531).

The government is not unaware of this information. In 2002 a group of 78 national organizations wrote an open letter to President George W. Bush asking him to discontinue support for abstinence education funding, and in 2004 The American Psychological Association supported a resolution to end such programs (531). These petitions were ignored. A reply from the white house detailing the reason why the President would instead increase federal funding disclosed this insight: Values trump data (531).

We must take a moment to think about what matters. Using our example, what outcome is most significant for our children? Assuming the most fundamental goals of sexuality education are to empower children to be safe and healthy, it is confirmed that abstinence training does not work. More comprehensive programs have proven to be effective, yet we have largely failed to pivot and except them (534). In this case, our children’s futures are at stake; however, this is a common conflict. Humans struggle to acknowledge when evidence contradicts belief.

At the hands of ‘values trump data,’ we suffer cognitive dissonance, a struggle between tradition and truth. We must decide what is most meaningful, realizing our goals, such as our children’s sexual efficacy, or stubborn adherence to prevailing attitudes and customs.

Work Cited

     Hyde, Janet, and John Delamater. Understanding Human Sexuality. 13th ed, Mc Graw Hill Education, 2017.