Public Policy and Statistics

This casebook describes the varied analytical techniques and substantive applications that typify how statistical thinking has been applied at RAND over the past two decades. The philosophy is to be critical yet constructive. Case studies of public policy problems are useful for teaching because they are familiar. Almost everyone knows something about health insurance, global warming, and capital punishment, to name a few of the applications covered in this casebook. Each case study has a common format that describes the policy questions, the statistical questions, and the successful and unsuccessful analytic strategies. This book is designed for statistics courses in areas ranging from economics to health policy to the law at both the advanced undergraduate and graduate levels. Empirical researchers and policymakers should also find this casebook informative.