Forms Define Government Knowledge

Government administrative datasets largely record answers to specific forms, so what a state 'knows' is bounded by questionnaire design, retention rules, and who actually uses the system. Small user bases and shifting collection methods make hidden, long‑lived errors likely — illustrated by SEVIS’s missing employer and departure fields and a 200,000‑student undercount. — If policymakers and the public accept administrative counts at face value, they risk making decisions based on systematic blind spots that shape immigration, labor, and service delivery policy.