Policy Analysis for the Congress

Abstract

Congress and the Executive Branch are the nation's most important consumers of policy analysis. In recent years the Congress has created a number of innovative policy analysis institutions and expanded others. As a result, and to the surprise of some observers, the rate of legislative use of policy analysis is beginning to approach that of the Executive Office of the President. The information and analysis capabilities available to the Congress are a development of fundamental importance to the conduct of the nation's business. Not only have they strengthened the analytical phases of oversight, investigations, and appropriations some major phases of congressional decision making but they also have enlarged the opportunities for public participation in decision making. The purposes of this presentation are to: 1. Examine the main policy analysis institutions available to the Congress; 2. Identify factors that affect the use of policy analysis by the Congress; and 3. Describe some current reform proposals aimed at strengthening the policy analysis capability of the Congress.