UC Irvine

Strategies for the analysis of public policy have been a major focus of interest among social scientists during the last decade. This paper introduces a survey research design and perspective which differ from most current strategies for public policy analysis. The design, which is basically an ex post facto correlational design, employs an unconventional sampling technique to derive policy-impact statements from a small sample. The policy analysis perspective of this research is focused on making prescriptive rather than descriptive statements. The specific research is the "URBIS" project, a study which is evaluating the impact of automated information systems upon the operations of local governments. After briefly discussing the general logic of public policy analysis, this paper details the methods and critical issues of this research design. The paper suggests that the URBIS research strategy might be viewed as one general model for public policy analysis. © 1976.