Evidence-based Policymaking - 9780415805841

"Crossing the chasm between research and policymaking requires navigating partisan debates fueled by ideological purity amidst unseen imperatives. But rational governance is better governance. Finally, a book shows us how to get there from here."ùGail C. Christopher, D.N., Vice President, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, USA

"Bogenschneider and Corbett brilliantly fill a big gap in our understanding of evidence. This volume would make a fine addition to any and every serious master's or upper-level undergraduate policy course where the role of evidence in the policy process is discussed."ùTimothy M. Smeeding, Professor, and Director, Institute for Research on Poverty, UW-Madison, USA

"Karen Bogenschneider and Tom Corbett have spent most of their careers working to bridge the gap between policymakers and policy researchers. This new hook is a monument to their wisdom and their commitment to this endeavor."ùSara McLanahan, Professor and Endowed Chair, Princeton University, USA

"Bogenschneider's and Corbetts expertise goes beyond understanding theory. They know how public policy works. When I need advice about ways to strengthen the relationship between higher education and public officials, I go to Karen and Tom first. This book makes a real contribution to those who want to learn about public policy."ùMary Fairchild, National Conference of State Legislatures, USA

"This book should be read by all who hope research can affect policy in the real world. The authors' unique experience provides insights that move the field of evidence-based policy significantly forward."ùMatthew Stagner, Ph.D., Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, USA

This book is for those who believe that good government should be based on hard evidence, and that I research and policy ought to go hand-in-hand. Unfortunately, no such bond exists. Rather, there is a substantial gap, some say chasm, between the production of knowledge and its utilization. Despite much contrary evidence, the authors propose there is a way of doing public policy in a more reflective manner, and that a hunger for evidence and objectivity does exist.

The book is pragmatic, drawing on advice from some of the best and brightest informants from both the research and policy communities. In their own voices, researchers provide incisive analysis about how to bridge the research/policy divide, and policymakers provide insights about why they use research, what kind is most useful, where they seek it, and how they screen its quality. The book breaks through stereotypes about what policymakers are like, and provides an insider's view of how the policy process really works. Readers will learn what knowledge, skills, approaches, and attitudes are needed to take research findings from the laboratory to lawmaking bodies, and how to evaluate one's success in doing so.

The book's balance between theory and practice will appeal to students in graduate and upper-level undergraduate courses in family studies and family policy, educational policy, law, political science, public administration, public health, social work, and sociology. This book will also be of interest to researchers who want to bring their ideas into policy debate and to those who work with policymakers to advance an evidence-based policy agenda.