Use In Policy Analysis Research Articles

Distribution-free estimation of individual parameter logit (IPL) models using combined evolutionary and optimization algorithms

When estimating random coefficients models from choice data, decisions relating to the multivariate density function assumed to describe preference heterogeneity across the population raise questions about stochastic (in)dependence between preference dimensions, uni- vs. multi-modality, potential point masses, bounds and/or constraints on support regions, among other concerns. Parametric representations of population distributions have generally implied uncomfortable compromises to achieve estimation tractability. It would seem preferable to sidestep such issues by estimating individual preferences in a distribution-free manner, but this freedom of form implies a large number of parameters since we lose the parsimony enabled by parametric densities and must deal directly with estimation of individual decision maker preferences. I propose a hybrid distribution-free estimator for individual parameter logit models that uses a genetic algorithm as first stage, the solution from which becomes a starting point for a gradient-based search to obtain the final posterior maximum likelihood estimates of individual preferences. This estimator is described in detail, its parameter recovery capability is tested with Monte Carlo data generation simulations, and a case study is developed in some detail to illustrate its use in policy analysis. The estimator can be applied to both stated and revealed preference data, requiring only that sufficient choice replications be available for individual observation units consistent with extant estimation methods. Computational experience shows the estimator to require CPU times comparable to extant simulation-based estimation methods, meaning that its use is practical for the exploration of the parameter space through multiple trials.

Positive Mathematical Programming to Model Regional or Basin-Wide Implications of Producer Adoption of Practices Emerging from Plot-Based Research

A method for calibrating models of agricultural production and resource use for policy analysis is proposed to leverage multidisciplinary agricultural research at the National Center for Alluvial Aquifer Research (NCAAR). An illustrative example for Sunflower County, MS, is presented to show how plot-level research can be extended to draw systemic region or basin wide implications. A hypothetical improvement in yields for dryland soybean varieties is incorporated into the model and shown to have a positive impact on aquifer outcomes and producer profits. The example illustrates that a change in one practice-crop combination can have system-wide impacts, as evidenced by the change in acreages for all crops and practices.

Research data sharing behaviour of engineering researchers in Norway and the UK: uncovering the double face of Janus

PurposeIn a context of growing policy pressures to increase the societal impact of Higher Education Institutions (HEI), open access to research data has gained increased significance, in spite of the limited availability of standard procedures and protocols, particularly in the engineering disciplines. In this article, we explore how engineering researchers' engagement with such external environment pressures impacts the conventional dimensions of engineering research work, and how engineering researchers within engineering HEI resolve potential tensions and make sense of their research data sharing practices.Design/methodology/approachWe use an institutional logics theoretical perspective to qualitatively examine research data sharing behaviours of researchers in Norway and the UK as leading engineering research centres, through the use of policy analysis and narrative interviews.FindingsThe findings indicate that research data sharing behaviours are heavily mediated by institutional rules and rationalities that inform researchers' attitudes, but the logics that prize openness and sharing co-exist with logics that favour control and self-interest.Originality/valueOur findings suggest that logics-specific variations in engineering researchers' identities and goals are of paramount importance to policymakers, research funders and academic leaders striving to support HEI in their efforts to augment the societal impact of research.

Calibration of agricultural risk programming models using positive mathematical programming

Mathematical programming models of farmers’ cropping decisions must first be calibrated before they can be used to examine agricultural producer responses to policy changes. In this paper, we compare three calibration approaches for disentangling the risk parameter from the parameters of the cost function: one assumes a logarithmic utility function, while the others employ an exponential utility function. Historical crop insurance data for southern Alberta, Canada, are used to assess the calibration performance of the three approaches, and sensitivity analysis is implemented to test whether the changes in the optimal land allocation caused by the changes in the values of the parameters are practically reasonable. Only one of the three models is of practical use for policy analysis because it can recover the true values of the parameters and the results of sensitivity analysis are reasonable.

When Are Nudges Desirable? Benefit Validity When Preferences Are Not Consistently Revealed

Abstract Cost‐benefit analysis, as a tool of general use in policy analysis or as a mandated analytical process in some rulemaking, provides protocols for assessing the relative efficiency of policy alternatives. However, inconsistent and apparently irrational decisions by consumers in some situations call into question the validity of inferring the values that consumers place on outcomes from their observed choices. It also opens the door for “nudges” that change the architecture of choice to promote more “rational” consumer choice. Differences between decision utility and experience utility and the willingness of consumers to pay for reductions in temptation provide conceptual bases for thinking about the efficiency of nudges. However, assessment of nudges and their role in behavioral public administration should also recognize that heterogeneous preferences can result in increases in utility for some and decreases for others. Therefore, nudges require systematic assessment like other policy instruments.

Hypotheses and Hope: Policy Analysis and Cost Controls (or Not) in the Affordable Care Act

Abstract Cost control choices for the Affordable Care Act are a logical topic for this special issue because of both the policy and political importance of the choices and what they illustrate about the use of policy analysis in policy making. This article argues that the common trope that research-based evidence is ignored because of “politics” misunderstands the patterns of policy analysis. Politicians did listen to interest groups, voters, and their own attitudes, but the visibility and credentials of different policy analyses were also important. The advice structure and validation of ideas for budgetary decisions also differed distinctly from that for choices about how to control overall health care spending. This article illustrates patterns of influence with regard to three types of cost controls: price regulation, limits on insurance, and an aspirational agenda of system reengineering measures such as accountable care organizations, pay for performance, and cost-effectiveness analysis. Even the meaning of evidence for some measures (e.g., reengineering) was different from that for others (e.g., price regulation). Being heavily promoted by the most prestigious policy experts did not mean ideas were either well supported by evidence or politically safe. The question may be more why politicians listened to some analysts than why they do not listen to analysis.

The Vulnerability of Coastal Tourism Destinations to Climate Change: The Usefulness of Policy Analysis

Climate change conditions the sustainability of coastal destinations. This paper looks at the physical conditions that determine exposure and sensitivity to and risk from climate change and explores the sociopolitical contextual factors that determine the vulnerability of destinations. We define a destination’s vulnerability to climate change as being a reduction in its attractiveness caused by climate change combined with the consequences of adaptation and mitigation strategies. To be more specific, this paper aims to discuss the linkage between policymaking and the vulnerability of coastal destinations to climate change. We look at how this vulnerability is determined by decision-making, policies and strategies and propose an innovative analytical framework to assess vulnerability using a policy analysis approach. It is our intention to combine a content analysis of policy documents with an analysis of the perceptions and opinions of the stakeholders that influence decision-making. The paper deals with the complex, multiple, dynamic and fuzzy attributes that characterize all the items that make up this kind of research: climate change (phenomenon), vulnerability (variable), policy analysis (method), policy contents and stakeholder perceptions (indicators), coastal destinations (territorial system) and tourism (activity and policy).

CONSTRUCTING A SOCIAL ACCOUNTING MATRIX TO ADDRESS INCOME DISTRIBUTION ISSUES IN MALAYSIA

The Malaysian economy has undergone sound growth over the past three decades. During the 1990s, the government designed a vision to become a high-income developed nation by 2020. Strengthening aggregate demand within a developing economy such as Malaysia’s is critical for achieving this target. In quantifying the impact of such measures economists have employed the social accounting matrix as an analytical tool. The challenge associated with the construction of a social accounting matrix for Malaysia, especially when up-to-date databases are not readily available, is the main issue addressed by this paper. The constructed matrix can provide an updated country-wide data source for use in policy analysis and as a database for macroeconomic modelling purposes. The applied database investigates the key economic sectors contributing to Malaysia’s economic growth and income distribution between three household types. This paper presents the first attempt in this direction employing recently published input-output tables and complemented with updated data from different sources. Keywords: Social Accounting Matrix, Government expenditure, Income distribution, Multiplier analysis, Malaysia.

Policy Analysis in Brazil: A Comparison of Rationalist and Argumentative Approaches

The objective of this essay is to present an overview of policy analysis as a practice and field of knowledge in Brazil. The paper compares the rationalist (positivist) and argumentative (postpositivist) approaches for prescriptive policy analysis. The paper portrays the development and practical use of policy analysis at federal, state and local levels of government, among the executive and legislative powers, in think tanks, and across different policy areas. The institutionalization of the field is also discussed in terms of the establishment of scholarly associations and conferences, scientific journals and graduate education in policy analysis in Brazil. The paper claims that (a) the academic field of policy analysis lacks consolidation in Brazil, and the very term “policy analysis” (análise de políticas públicas) is mostly used to describe theoretically oriented policy research; (b) rationalist policy analysis is mainly used in some “pockets of modernity” at the federal level of government; (c) Brazil has a rich experimentation of participatory mechanisms for argumentative policy analysis through participatory mechanisms at all levels of government. The essay concludes with some directions to build policy analysis capacity in Brazil, in theory and practice.

Subject pool effects among the general population and students: a choice experiment example

ABSTRACTRising costs of conducting research coupled with limited budgets are forcing researchers to use samples of convenience. Students represent one such sample, but are students an appropriate population? The objective is to ascertain how students’ willingness to pay (WTP) differs from the general public’s WTP. Students and county residents are surveyed. Results suggest the study’s goal may determine if student responses are generalizable to the general population. The samples are similar in many characteristics, but WTP amounts vary. The student samples show some inconsistencies. If the goal is general behavioural inferences, the results provide support for the use of students. If the goal is to estimate specific WTPs for use in policy analysis, the use of students may not be advisable.

Improving value transfer through socio-economic adjustments in a multicountry choice experiment of water conservation alternatives

This study tests the transferability of the nonmarket values of water conservation for domestic and environmental purposes across three south European countries and Australia applying a common choice experiment design. Different approaches are followed to test the transferability of the estimated values, aiming to minimise transfer errors for use in policy analysis, comparing both single- and multicountry transfers, with and without socio-economic adjustments. Within Europe, significant differences are found between implicit prices for environmental water use, but not for domestic water use. In the Australian case study, alleviating restrictions on domestic water use has no significant value. Pooling the three European samples improves the transferability of the environmental flow values between Europe and Australia. Results show that a reduction in transfer error is achieved when controlling for unobserved and observed preference heterogeneity in the single- and multicountry transfers, providing additional support for the superiority of socio-economic adjustment procedures in value transfer.

Bridging the Energy Efficiency Gap: Policy Insights from Economic Theory and Empirical Evidence

Despite several decades of government policies to promote efficiency, estimates of the costs and benefits of such policies remain controversial. At the heart of the controversy is whether there is an energy efficiency whereby consumers and firms fail to make seemingly positive net present value saving investments. High implicit discount rates, undervaluation of future fuel savings, and negative cost efficiency measures have all been discussed as evidence of the existence of a gap. We review explanations for an efficiency gap, including reasons why the size of the gap may be overstated, neoclassical explanations for a gap, and recent evidence from behavioral economics that has potential to help us understand why a gap could exist. Our review raises fundamental questions about traditional welfare analysis, yet we find the alternatives offered in the literature to be far from ready for use in policy analysis. Nevertheless, we offer several suggestions for policymakers and for future economic research.

Bridging the Energy Efficiency Gap: Insights for Policy from Economic Theory and Empirical Analysis

Despite several decades of government policies to promote efficiency, estimates of the costs and benefits of such policies remain controversial. At the heart of the controversy is whether there is an energy efficiency whereby consumers and firms fail to make seemingly positive net present value saving investments. High implicit discount rates, undervaluation of future fuel savings, and negative cost efficiency measures have all been discussed as evidence of the existence of a gap. We review explanations for an efficiency gap, including reasons why the size of the gap may be overstated, neoclassical explanations for a gap, and recent evidence from behavioral economics that has potential to help us understand why a gap could exist. Our review raises fundamental questions about traditional welfare analysis, yet we find the alternatives offered in the literature to be far from ready for use in policy analysis. Nevertheless, we offer several suggestions for policymakers and for future economic research.

The Use of Policy Analysis and Research Project Library in Conducting Research

The paper gi ves a n historical background of PARP and the library, which e nhances legislative research by supporting her with documents within the frame work of the social sciences. A survey research method is used; questionnaire was designed and distributed among three categories of user of PARP library which comprises of PARP staff, NASS staff and Non staff. The purpose of the research is to ascertain the impression of the users in regards to PARP library and to further pave way on h ow to improve services to the users ,30 questionnaires was distributed to Policy Analysis and Research Project (PARP) staff and 16 was returned,200 to National Assembly (NASS) staff and 126 was returned, 100 to Non staff and 39 was returned. The result shows that the library is used by these three categories but they all have different views about the library.Key Words: Policy, Analysis, Research, Project, Library

Lessons from stochastic small-area population projections: the case of Waikato subregions in New Zealand

Subnational population projections in New Zealand by means of the conventional deterministic cohort-component method have had a tendency to be conservative: underprojecting fast-growing populations and overprojecting slow-growing ones. In this paper we use a stochastic population projection method as an alternative. We generate population projections for five demographically distinct administrative areas within the Waikato region of New Zealand: Hamilton City, Franklin District, Thames-Coromandel District, Otorohanga District and South Waikato District. The results are compared to official subnational deterministic projections. The accuracy of subnational population projections in New Zealand is strongly affected by the instability of migration as a component of population change. Differently from the standard cohort-component method, in which net migration levels are projected, the key parameters of our method are age-gender-area specific probabilistic net migration rates. Generally, the identified and modelled uncertainty makes the traditional ‘mid-range’ scenario of subnational deterministic projections of limited use for policy analysis or planning beyond a relatively short projection horizon. We find that the projected range of rates of population growth is wider for smaller regions and/or regions more strongly affected by net migration. Directions for further development of the methodology are suggested.

End-use of health policy analysis – the case of maternal mortality reduction in Nigeria

Nigeria presently has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality (MM) in the developing world. As part of efforts to reduce her MM, Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health has formulated policies on sexual and reproductive health, health sector reform and safe motherhood. However, actual implementations of these policies have been less successful, resulting in persisting high rates ofMMin the country. Part of the reasons for this state of affairs includes the non-inclusion in the policy development process, of issues such as unsafe abortion, adolescent sexuality and early marriage. Secondly, although MM is largely driven by poverty and under-development, there is very poor understanding of this inter-relationship, with little attention given to addressing the various multisectorial issues that impact on MM. Thirdly, the lack of a conscientious and organized policy network to drive the process of policy implementation has ensured that health policies have never been implemented at a sustainable level. However, there is some evidence that political will for safe motherhood has recently increased in Nigeria, with efforts being given to prioritizing the problem as a major developmental and public health issue. Disappointingly, major challenges still remain in the actual implementation of health policies relating to the reduction of MM. We believe that strategic advocacy and public health education, improved coordination of policy networks and the use of the human rights and gender analysis frameworks will ensure better use of policy analysis for the reduction of MM in Nigeria.Key words End-use, health policy analysis, maternal mortality reduction, Nigeria

Examining School District Efficiency in Georgia

This article examines the relative production efficiency of school districts in Georgia using the modified quadriform method. Overall, we find that the modified quadriform allows state-level policymakers to access a basic tool for analysis that makes relative comparison of school district productivity for use in policy analysis and policy development. While the results of this study are in line with studies in other states using the modified quadriform, we also note that performance in Georgia is tied to a host of community characteristics as well as the percentage of expenditures dedicated to instruction.

Ideological background of empirical ignorance

The increasing need by politicians, in the second half of the last century, for evidence as a basis for decision making has led to the emergence of policy analysis as a new discipline. Since then the use of policy analysis has been shifting from core state sectors to others, including cultural policies. Policy analysis is becoming an instrument in making cultural policy an effective activity. However, there are many obstacles to the development of new agendas, strategies and mechanisms for research in, of and for cultural policy. This article concentrates on those impediments to cultural policy research that are connected to the ideological dimension of cultural policy. They are reflected in the following points: (1) governments too often deal uncritically with the arts as a domain of national interest; (2) contradicting the notion of public policy, cultural policy is conceived as a policy for culture as an autonomous field; (3) due to a strong functional differentiation the cultural sector has restructured itself as a highly specialized (sub)sector of society where autopoesis makes any outside observation a rather futile, even noxious, intervention; (4) the cultural administration favours complex administrative procedure and audits as principles of social organization and control; and (5) the mechanism of collective peer review in the allocation of public funds can very easily be misused as an alibi for cultural indifference of the politicians. These five points result, it is argued, in passive cultural policy and poor cultural policy research. In order to demystify cultural policy, more facts, figures and arguments should be brought into the cultural policy making. Mediation between internally and externally heterogeneous groups of researchers, policy makers and cultural insiders is needed, a kind of brokerage agency that could bridge this gap and actuate the process of de-differentiation between culture and society. The thesis of this article will be illustrated by examples from the present situation in Slovenia.

Protect and Survive: ‘whiteness’ and the middle‐class family in civil defence pedagogies

‘Civil defence pedagogies’ normalise continuous emergency through educational channels such as school, community and adult education. Using critical whiteness studies, and critiques of white supremacy from critical race theory, as a conceptual base, the protection of whiteness, and particularly the white middle‐class family, is considered to be centrally important to civil defence in education. Civil defence is not only classed and state‐centred, but a racialised and eugenic discourse where the state considers not necessarily the survival of the majority of white people, but the continuity of whiteness to be prioritised above the survival of people of colour. Within these policies, the enterprising white, middle‐class, suburban family has provided a key role as main reference, beneficiary, activist and supporter of civil defence pedagogies. Through the use of policy analysis and documentation from the USA in the 1950s and the UK in the 1980s, I discuss representations of the family, race and class in civil defence pedagogies. Although whiteness is contextualised by geography and history, there is congruence in terms of the eugenic tendencies of these seemingly innocuous pedagogies.

Public Policy Analysis: Ideas and Impacts

▪ Abstract Both economists and political scientists have made important contributions to the field of public policy analysis. Economists have stressed the roles of competition, natural monopolies, information asymmetries, externalities, incentives, and federalism in promoting or undermining efficiency. Political scientists, in contrast, have focused more on the mechanics of agenda change, the likelihood of nonincremental policy change, and how the policy-making process varies across issue areas. Economists have influenced government decisions that led to the creation of public utility commissions, emissions trading, revenue sharing, and health maintenance organizations. Political scientists have influenced government decisions on the design of political institutions (environmental impact statements, legislative redistricting) and on the choice of public policies (criminal justice strategies, welfare reform). In general, the presence of a scholarly consensus facilitates the use of policy analysis. However, interest group politics and electoral incentives also play an important role.