In Policy, Practice, Pseudo-Academic, Theory on March 1, 2010 at 11:53 am
This post discusses two journal articles:
Hird, J.A. (2005). Policy analysis for what? The effectiveness of nonpartisan policy research organizations. The policy studies journal, 33 (1), pp. 83-105.
Shulock, N. (1999). The paradox of policy analysis: If it is not used, why do we produce so much of it? Journal of policy analysis and management, 18 (2), pp. 226-244.
Both Shulock and Hird discuss the use of the knowledge generated by policy analysis in policymaking. Both scholars argue that policy analysis is primarily used in the policy process, and has a smaller effect on the policies themselves.
Shulock discusses two views of policymaking in her article. The first, she calls the traditional view. The traditional view comes out of a rationalist perspective of policymaking and argues that policy analysis should be and is used to solve problems. Policy analysis is, in this view, a tool to reduce uncertainty, maximize utility, and maximize the benefits relative to costs. Thus, policy analysis should have a direct impact on policy, and legislation should be based directly on policy analysis. In this view of policymaking, the public is both irrelevant, uneducated, and unimportant. In contrast, the interpretive perspective argues that the role of policy analysis is and should be to influence the debate around policy. This perspective sees policy analysis not so much as a tool but as another factor influencing democratic participation and discourse. This view sees the public as important and attentive. In this view, policy analysis is part of the complex policy process. Shulock is proposing that the interpretive view is the proper understanding of the role of policy analysis in the United States. Read the rest of this entry »
Bartels, book review, inequality, Policy, politics
In General, Policy, Pseudo-Academic, Quantitative Research on March 1, 2010 at 9:05 am
I recently read and presented on Larry M. Bartels’ 2008 book, Unequal Democracy in a class that I’m taking this semester. I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in policy, political science, or inequality. I was particularly struck by Bartels’ ability to translate complex quantitative models into a story about partisan differences in economic policy that anyone can understand.
Bartels uses concrete data and advanced statistical methods to show that there has been a consistent trend in the United States where low and middle-income individuals fared better economically under Democratic administrations, while only the affluent benefited under Republican administrations. He shows that this is not a coincidence; the income disparity under Republicans and Democrats is larger than what would be observed by chance, or due to exogenous events. He uses time-series data, multiple regression, probits, and other methods familiar only to those who have taken a course in advanced quantitative methods, but he uses those methods to tell an artful story that seems to engage the reader, regardless of his or her training in statistical models. Read the rest of this entry »
2010 Budget, charitable giving, health, nonprofits, President Obama, tax breaks
In Budgeting, General, Nonprofit, Opinions, Policy on March 10, 2009 at 7:40 am
What are the pros and cons of President Obama’s proposed 2010 budget plan for the philanthropic and nonprofit community and society more generally? It appears that when we weigh the costs and benefits, nonprofits and citizens generally will come out ahead. Unfortunately, most of the organized philanthropic community (not necessarily representing most nonprofits) and several politicians have come out against the changes, narrowly framing the issue around what impact the proposed tax changes will have on the wealthiest donors. Read the rest of this entry »
education, funding, inequality, lottery, Policy
In General, Opinions, Policy on February 23, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Every once in a while, I come up with an idea to solve a problem that I’m often not an expert in, but that seems to make sense. I like to run these ideas by others to get their input and hopefully come up with an even better idea. I recently started re-reading Jonathan Kozol’s Savage Inequalities. I first read this excellent book on the inequalities in the American education system when I was a sophomore in college eight years ago. At that point, I was too overwhelmed byKozol’s description of the state of schools in East St. Louis and Chicago to respond with ideas on how to change the situation. This time I approached the text with the eye of a policy analyst and I had an idea… Read the rest of this entry »
efficiency, health, Policy
In Opinions, Policy on February 3, 2009 at 11:13 am
Within the current world of policy and administration, efficiency has become an important if not overarching goal. Arguments for privatization and program elimination have been based almost solely on whether or not a program is efficient. The PART program under the administration of George W. Bush rated programs at various levels of efficiency and then based their budget recommendations on these ratings (whether or not these ratings were based more on ideology than actual science will be addressed in another, future post). There seems to be one area, in which, the concern for efficiency has been ignored; healthcare. Read the rest of this entry »
