The Study and Use of Policy Research in State Legislatures

John A. Hird
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John A. Hird: University of Massachusetts Amherst, jhird@polsci.umass.edu

International Regional Science Review, 2009, vol. 32, issue 4, 523-535

Abstract: The literature on knowledge utilization generally reveals limited use of social science research in policymaking, and the proliferation of information sources and access suggests further erosion of traditional sources of expertise. However, many studies of knowledge utilization assess whether policymakers consider written research- articles, books, reports - in reaching decisions. This emphasis on the written research product neglects an important vehicle for transmitting research to policymakers: the researchers themselves and their intermediaries. I argue that social science and policy research do influence public policymaking, yet the influence of research is mediated through think tanks and other boundary individuals and organizations that digest and transmit information to policymakers. Scholars studying research utilization should recognize the importance of people apart from written research, and scholars hoping to influence policymaking should recognize that publications alone are unlikely to sway policymakers. I offer some suggestions for how scholars and legislators can better connect knowledge and power.

Keywords: knowledge utilization; expertise; policymaking; decision-making; think tanks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:inrsre:v:32:y:2009:i:4:p:523-535

DOI: 10.1177/0160017609341401

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