The Politics of Policy Innovation

Why do policymakers engage in policy innovation and experimentation? In this course we will explore the incentive structure facing policymakers to understand why they create new policies even if the outcome of experimentation is uncertain and perhaps risky. We will examine case studies from around the world, including countries at different levels of development and different regime types, to understand the conditions under which policymakers innovate. Finally, in this course, we will analyze the effectiveness of policy innovation and experimentation in generating positive outcomes such as economic growth and social welfare. 3 hrs. lect. (Comparative Politics)/