Experimental strategies for public policy analysis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24965/gapp.11133

Keywords:

Experiments, Evaluation of public policy, Causality, Validity, Experimentation ethics

Abstract

There is increasing concern about the effectiveness of public policies, both at the academic and practical level. Public policy analysis gets more technical every day, and multiple tools are required to establish the causal effect of a policy. In this article, we present an overview of some of the most suitable experimentation-based techniques for this purpose. We examine laboratory and field randomised experiments, on-line experiments and natural experiments. We also address some of the most common caveats of using experiments in public policies, such as validity of results or ethics. Despite possible hassles, the inclusion of experiments in public policy analysis has become the norm in international organisations, and that process is also starting in Spain. Mastering the techniques we present here, as well as understanding their relevance and limitations, is essential for anyone interested in the field of public policy. This article serves as an introduction and guide in that learning. Including experimentation in public policy analysis, we can obtain robust results upon on which build more efficient and effective policies

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Author Biographies

Luis Miller, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas IPP-CSIC (España)

Científico titular del Instituto de Políticas y Bienes Públicos del CSIC. Trabajó como investigador posdoctoral en el Instituto Max Planck de Economía y como adjunto a la dirección e investigador posdoctoral del Centro de Ciencias Sociales Experimentales del Nuffield College de la Universidad de Oxford. Desde 2011 hasta 2018 fue profesor permanente de microeconomía y economía experimental y conductual en la Facultad de Economía y Empresa de la Universidad del País Vasco. Ha sido asesor en la Oficina Nacional de Prospectiva y Estrategia de la Presidencia del Gobierno de España, Director de Gabinete de la Presidencia del CSIC y actualmente preside el Comité ético vinculado a los itinerarios de inclusión social del Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones. Publica regularmente sobre justicia distributiva, polarización política y métodos experimentales en disciplinas como la economía, ciencia política, sociología, psicología y filosofía

Isabel Rodríguez Marín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas IPP-CSIC (España)

Investigadora predoctoral en el Instituto de Políticas y Bienes Públicos del CSIC, con un contrato FPU del Ministerio de Universidades. Doctoranda en el programa Interuniversitario en Economía DEcIDE y colaboradora docente en el Departamento de Economía Aplicada y Estadística de la UNED. Anteriormente ha trabajado en Evaluación en ICEX España y como consultora junior. Sus intereses de investigación giran en torno a la identificación de causalidad entre comportamiento y preferencias políticas, y el contexto socio-económico. En concreto, ha trabajado sobre temas de polarización y movilidad social, y se encuentra investigando sobre normas sociales y discriminación partidista con métodos experimentales

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Published

24-02-2023 — Updated on 01-03-2023

How to Cite

Miller, L., & Rodríguez Marín, I. (2023). Experimental strategies for public policy analysis. Gestión Y Análisis De Políticas Públicas, (31), 56–70. https://doi.org/10.24965/gapp.11133