A “politically robust” experimental design for public policy evaluation, with application to the Mexican Universal Health Insurance program

Gary King, Emmanuela Gakidou, Nirmala Ravishankar, Ryan T. Moore, Jason Lakin, Manett Vargas, Martha María Téllez-Rojo, Juan Eugenio Hernández Ávila, Mauricio Hernández Ávila and Héctor Hernández Llamas
Additional contact information
Emmanuela Gakidou: Harvard University, Postal: Harvard University
Nirmala Ravishankar: Harvard University, Postal: Harvard University
Ryan T. Moore: Harvard University, Postal: Harvard University
Jason Lakin: Harvard University, Postal: Harvard University
Manett Vargas: National Commission for Social Protection in Health, Ministry of Health, Mexico, Postal: National Commission for Social Protection in Health, Ministry of Health, Mexico
Martha María Téllez-Rojo: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (National Institute of Public Health), Mexico, Postal: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (National Institute of Public Health), Mexico
Juan Eugenio Hernández Ávila: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (National Institute of Public Health), Mexico, Postal: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (National Institute of Public Health), Mexico
Mauricio Hernández Ávila: Undersecretary for Prevention and Health Promotion, Secretaría de Salud (Ministry of Health), Mexico, Postal: Undersecretary for Prevention and Health Promotion, Secretaría de Salud (Ministry of Health), Mexico
Héctor Hernández Llamas: Conestadistica, Postal: Conestadistica

Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2007, vol. 26, issue 3, 479-506

Abstract: We develop an approach to conducting large-scale randomized public policy experiments intended to be more robust to the political interventions that have ruined some or all parts of many similar previous efforts. Our proposed design is insulated from selection bias in some circumstances even if we lose observations; our inferences can still be unbiased even if politics disrupts any two of the three steps in our analytical procedures; and other empirical checks are available to validate the overall design. We illustrate with a design and empirical validation of an evaluation of the Mexican Seguro Popular de Salud (Universal Health Insurance) program we are conducting. Seguro Popular, which is intended to grow to provide medical care, drugs, preventative services, and financial health protection to the 50 million Mexicans without health insurance, is one of the largest health reforms of any country in the last two decades. The evaluation is also large scale, constituting one of the largest policy experiments to date and what may be the largest randomized health policy experiment ever. © 2007 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management

Date: 2007
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (25)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:jpamgt:v:26:y:2007:i:3:p:479-506

DOI: 10.1002/pam.20279

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