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PUB AFFR 240

EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY MAKING

3 credits.

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. 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. Also explore the difference between an education-based approach to working with policymakers versus an advocacy-based approach, learn strategies for communicating research to policy makers (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.

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: None Course Designation: Core GenEd - Social & Behavioral Science Breadth - Social Science Level - Elementary L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify and utilize high quality sources of policy research information Audience: Undergraduate 2. Engage in discussions of policy issues with researchers and policymakers using an education (vs. advocacy) approach Audience: Undergraduate 3. Translate policy research into accessible written deliverables for policymakers (e.g., issue briefs) Audience: Undergraduate 4. Develop accessible, useful verbal presentations of policy research for policymakers. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify and utilize high quality sources of policy research information Audience: Undergraduate 2. Engage in discussions of policy issues with researchers and policymakers using an education (vs. advocacy) approach Audience: Undergraduate 3. Translate policy research into accessible written deliverables for policymakers (e.g., issue briefs) Audience: Undergraduate 4. Develop accessible, useful verbal presentations of policy research for policymakers. Audience: Undergraduate

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