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The paradox of policy analysis: If it is not used, why do we produce so much of it?

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  • Nancy Shulock

    (California State University, Sacramento)

Abstract
This article explores the apparent paradox that our society invests heavily in policy analysis when empirical studies, political science theory, and common wisdom all suggest that analysis is not used by policymakers to make better policy decisions. It offers a critique of the traditional view of policy analysis and presents an alternative view derived from contemporary literature on the policy process and decisionmaking. The alternative view suggests that there are legitimate uses for analysis other than the problem-solving use originally envisioned but apparently rarely attained. The two views imply different patterns of use of analysis by legislative committees-a contrast that I subject to an empirical test. An examination of quantitative data on policy analysis use by congressional committees from 1985 to 1994 lends support for the alternative view. The research has two implications. First, despite its scientific origins, policy analysis may be a more effective instrument of the democratic process than of the problem-solving process. Second, the profession of policy analysis may be in better shape than many who are calling for fundamental changes to its practice seem to believe. © 1999 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.

Suggested Citation

  • Nancy Shulock, 1999. "The paradox of policy analysis: If it is not used, why do we produce so much of it?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(2), pages 226-244.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jpamgt:v:18:y:1999:i:2:p:226-244
    DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6688(199921)18:2<226::AID-PAM2>3.0.CO;2-J
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dan Durning, 1993. "Participatory policy analysis in a social service agency: A case study," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 12(2), pages 297-322.
    2. William H. Robinson, 1989. "Symposium: Policy analysis for congress. Policy analysis for congress: Lengthening the time horizon," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 8(1), pages 1-9.
    3. Carol H. Weiss, 1989. "Congressional committees as users of analysis," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 8(3), pages 411-431.
    4. Shepsle, Kenneth A. & Weingast, Barry R., 1987. "The Institutional Foundations of Committee Power," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 81(1), pages 85-104, March.
    5. David J. Webber, 1984. "Political Conditions Motivating Legislators' Use Of Policy Information," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 4(1), pages 110-118, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Heine Klaus & Mause Karsten, 2003. "Politikberatung als informationsökonomisches Problem," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 223(4), pages 479-490, August.
    2. Sudeepa Khanal & Lira Ramadani & Melanie Boeckmann, 2023. "Health Equity in Climate Change and Health Policies: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-18, July.
    3. Peter Reuter & Jeri Smith-Ready, 2002. "Assessing JPAM after 20 Years," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(3), pages 339-353.
    4. Brian W. Head, 2014. "Research and its policy relevance," Chapters, in: Robert Stimson (ed.), Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Spatially Integrated Social Science, chapter 27, pages 603-616, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Justin Longo & Alan Rodney Dobell, 2018. "The Limits of Policy Analytics: Early Examples and the Emerging Boundary of Possibilities," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(4), pages 5-17.
    6. Mary Jo Bane, 2001. "Presidential Address-Expertise, Advocacy and Deliberation: Lessons from Welfare Reform," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(2), pages 191-197.
    7. Hermans, Leon M. & Thissen, Wil A.H., 2009. "Actor analysis methods and their use for public policy analysts," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 196(2), pages 808-818, July.
    8. MÃ¥ns Nilsson, 2005. "The Role of Assessments and Institutions for Policy Learning: A Study on Swedish Climate and Nuclear Policy Formation," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 38(4), pages 225-249, December.
    9. Bruce A. Desmarais & John A. Hird, 2014. "Public policy's bibliography: The use of research in US regulatory impact analyses," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(4), pages 497-510, December.
    10. Anna Wesselink & Hal Colebatch & Warren Pearce, 2014. "Evidence and policy: discourses, meanings and practices," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 47(4), pages 339-344, December.
    11. Hope Pius Nudzor, 2014. "An Analytical Review of Education Policy-Making and Implementation Processes Within the Context of “Decentralized System of Administration†in Ghana," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(2), pages 21582440145, April.
    12. Eberli, Daniela, 2018. "Tracing the use of evaluations in legislative processes in Swiss cantonal parliaments," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 139-147.
    13. Michael Howlett, 2009. "Policy Advice in Multi-Level Governance Systems: Sub-National Policy Analysts and Analysis," International Review of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 1-16, January.
    14. Pannell, David J., 2004. "Effectively communicating economics to policy makers," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 48(3), pages 1-21.
    15. Claire A Dunlop, 2014. "The Possible Experts: How Epistemic Communities Negotiate Barriers to Knowledge Use in Ecosystems Services Policy," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 32(2), pages 208-228, April.
    16. Sedlačko Michal & Staroňová Katarína, 2015. "An Overview of Discourses on Knowledge in Policy: Thinking Knowledge, Policy and Conflict Together," Central European Journal of Public Policy, Sciendo, vol. 9(2), pages 10-31, December.
    17. Iris Stucki & Fritz Sager, 2018. "Aristotelian framing: logos, ethos, pathos and the use of evidence in policy frames," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 51(3), pages 373-385, September.
    18. Waddell, Charlotte & Lavis, John N. & Abelson, Julia & Lomas, Jonathan & Shepherd, Cody A. & Bird-Gayson, Twylla & Giacomini, Mita & (Dan) Offord, David R., 2005. "Research use in children's mental health policy in Canada: Maintaining vigilance amid ambiguity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(8), pages 1649-1657, October.
    19. John A. Hird, 2009. "The Study and Use of Policy Research in State Legislatures," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 32(4), pages 523-535, October.
    20. Stucki, Iris, 2018. "Evidence-based arguments in direct democracy: The case of smoking bans in Switzerland," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 148-156.
    21. Maria Francesch-Huidobro & Carlos Wing-Hung Lo & Shui-Yan Tang, 2012. "The Local Environmental Regulatory Regime in China: Changes in Pro-Environment Orientation, Institutional Capacity, and External Political Support in Guangzhou," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(10), pages 2493-2511, October.
    22. Carolyn J. Heinrich, 2008. "Advancing public sector performance analysis," Applied Stochastic Models in Business and Industry, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(5), pages 373-389, September.
    23. Witting Antje, 2015. "Measuring the Use of Knowledge in Policy Development," Central European Journal of Public Policy, Sciendo, vol. 9(2), pages 54-62, December.
    24. Schlaufer, Caroline, 2018. "The contribution of evaluations to the discourse quality of newspaper content," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 157-165.
    25. Yolanda Kodrzycki & Pingkang David Yu, 2005. "New approaches to ranking economics journals," Working Papers 05-12, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

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