PA 240 Evidence-Based Policy Making

Routinely offered: This course is offered every year.

Facilitates skill-building to answer questions such as how policymakers use research and evidence in their jobs, how researchers can make their work useful to policymakers, and how legislative support staff and other stakeholders use research and evidence to shape policy. Students will explore the definition of “evidence-based”, learn about different kinds of evidence and how it is used, and learn strategies for judging the rigor of research evidence. They will also explore the difference between an education-based approach to working with policymakers versus an advocacy-based approach, learn strategies for communicating research to policymakers (including written and oral presentations and data visualizations), research examples of successful evidence-based policymaking efforts, and understand the limits of using research in policymaking.

Instructors

Eric Bolland
Myriam Gregoire-Zawilski

Recent syllabi

Bolland Fall 2024
Gregoire-Zawilski Fall 2024
Bolland Syllabus Spring 2024