Freakonomics Radio

Policymaking Is Not a Science — Yet (Update)


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Why do so many promising solutions in education, medicine, and criminal justice fail to scale up into great policy? And can a new breed of “implementation scientists” crack the code?

 

  • SOURCES:
    • Patti Chamberlain, senior research scientist at the Oregon Social Learning Center.
    • John List, professor of economics at the University of Chicago.
    • Lauren Supplee, former deputy chief operating officer at Child Trends.
    • Dana L. Suskind, professor of surgery at the University of Chicago.

 

  • RESOURCES:
    • How Can Experiments Play a Greater Role in Public Policy? 12 Proposals from an Economic Model of Scaling,” by Omar Al-Ubaydli, John List, Claire Mackevicius, Min Sok Lee, and Dana Suskind.
    • The Science of Using Science: Towards an Understanding of the Threats to Scaling Experiments,” by Omar Al-Ubaydli, John List, and Dana Suskind (The Field Experiments Website, 2019).
    • Inconsistent Device Use in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Users: Prevalence and Risk Factors,” by K.B.Wiseman and A.D. Warner-Czyz (U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, 2018).

 

  • EXTRAS:
    • "Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale?" by Freakonomics Radio (2022).
    • "The Price of Doing Business with John List," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
    • Child Trends.
    • Oregon Social Learning Center.
    • T.M.W. Center for Early Learning and Public Health.
    • The Field Experiments Website.
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