Impact of Public Policies

I.    Nature of Impact Studies

    A.    Impact as Outcome -- Not Output

    B.    Effects on Real World

    C.    Focus on Changes Rendered

    D.    Modern Modifier:  Symbolic Impact

II.    Typical Governmental Evaluations

    A.    Hearings and Reports

    B.    Site Visits

    C.    Measurement of Activities Engaged

    D.    Measurement of Popular Response

III.    Issues in Policy Research

    A.    Bias Toward Positive Findings

    B.    The "Hawthorne Effect" (critiqued)

    C.    Political "Spin" of Results

    D.    Government Bias in Completion of Policy Studies (Wilson's Two Laws)

IV.    Difficulty of Program Termination

    A.    Concentrated Benefits v. Dispersed Costs

    B.    Iron Triangle

    C.    Incrementalism at Work

    D.    Policitization of Analysis & Policy Reconsideration

        1.    Identification of Common Concerns

        2.    Seeking of Compromise Between Competing Interests -- The Broker Function of Bargaining 

Key Web Sites

General Accounting Office

Office of Management and Budget

Program Evaluation:  Summary

Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management

CATO Institute