Anderson, David F. with David P. McCaffrey, Paul McCold and Doa Hoon Kim,"Regression and Case Studies of Public Programs: Discrepant Findings and a Suggested Bridge", 1984
Case studies of regulatory and social programs suggest that policy systems are dynamic. In the systems described, outcomes depend on how variables interact over time, and feedback among variables--“simultaneous” causation over multiple time periods--is more a rule than an exception. However, the most influential evaluations of public programs are studies using multiple regression. A recognized limitation of multiple regression is its relative insensitivity to multiperiod strategies, feedback among variables, and other dynamics. Accordingly, we maintain, the findings of regression-based and case studies commonly conflict. Simulation modeling can serve as a methodological bridge between case studies and regression-based studies of policy systems, improving theoretical models of the system and providing a way to evaluate the robustness of alternative regression models. The results of some early experiments along these lines are presented.
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