Research-Policy Connection in the Statehouse: Understanding the Impact of Information in Higher Education Finance Policy

• In Event: Policy Learning and Change in the United States

Abstract

Do policymakers rely on research evidence during the legislative process? If so, do they use research to shape policy or merely to reinforce their preferred solutions? What are their preferred sources of evidence? What are the effects of governmental structures on research use? We know surprisingly little about these questions, especially given the mounting evidence and experience with varied education policies. This comparative case study examines the role of research in higher education funding process in Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Findings suggest that the uptake of research evidence, with considerable variation across states, is influenced by differences in governmental and organizational structures, regional compacts, partisan information sources, and inter-state policy networks.

Authors

• Erik C. Ness, University of Georgia

• Mary Caroline Milan, University of Georgia