What factors motivate policymakers’ demand for evidence-based solutions?
Project Summary
The last twenty years have seen a dramatic increase in rigorous evaluation in government, partly in response to a broadening interest in and desire for evidence-based policy making. This evidence-based movement has the potential to dramatically improve policy outcomes over time, but only if policymakers are aware of best practices and choose to adopt them. The People Lab is conducting a series of survey experiments to understand what drives policymakers’ demand for evidence-based solutions. Specifically, we are exploring how they weigh different types and dimensions of scientific evidence including factors traditionally valued by researchers and academics (e.g., statistical significance, effect sizes), as well as those that may be more context specific (e.g., political buy-in, legal considerations).
Why is this issue important?
Insights from scientific research, program evaluations, and policy experimentation have the potential to significantly improve public policies and outcomes for residents. However, adoption of evidence-based solutions is low. Understanding the factors that drive policymakers’ interest in evidence-based solutions is a crucial first step to developing interventions and tools that help bridge the gap between policy-relevant research and policy-impactful results.
What are we doing?
Through a series of online survey experiments, we are exploring how policymakers evaluate the usefulness and usability of scientific research. Using a conjoint design, we will examine how policymakers weigh different dimensions of scientific evidence such as methodologies, short- and long-term effect sizes, statistical significance, costs, political context, subgroup effects, and so on, when deciding whether to recommend an evidence-based program or solution.
What have we learned?
This project is ongoing. Initial results are expected in Spring 2026.