Numbers can create political communities out of people who share some trait that has been counted. Counting can aid negotiation and compromise, by making intangible qualities seem divisible. The process of counting something makes people notice it more, and record keeping stimulates reporting. Counting can be used to stimulate public demands for change. The power to measure is the power to control.
Measurers have a lot of discretion in their choice of what and how to measure.
Measuring creates alliances between the measurers and the measured. It is well worth the time and effort.