Evidence-Based Policy in the Real World: A Cautionary View

Adam Gamoran

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 2018, vol. 678, issue 1, 180-191

Abstract: The evidence movement has attended more to improving the supply of evidence than to increasing demand, so even as rigorous evidence production has increased, the use of evidence remains all too rare. A growing body of research indicates that the quality of relationships between researchers, policy-makers, and intermediaries plays a central role in whether rigorous evidence informs decisions in policy and practice. Creating structures to support such relationships remains a major challenge. Yet even when high-quality evidence is used, the intended benefits may not ensue because of broader challenges in society at large. Consequently, we should temper our expectations for the benefits of evidence-based policymaking, but not give up the effort.

Keywords: evidence-based policymaking; research evidence; interventions; inequality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:anname:v:678:y:2018:i:1:p:180-191

DOI: 10.1177/0002716218770138

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