Carr, A. Barry

English

Research Papers in Economics

SOUTHERN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS  JULY,  1989
RELEVANCY  OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES  IN THE POLICY
ARENA:  IMPLICATIONS  FOR AGRICULTURAL
ECONOMICS:  DISCUSSION
A.  Barry Carr
Dr.  Bonnen  and  I bring  different perspec-  sional activity will be forthcoming.
tives  to  this  topic.  His  distinguished  career  Here I would like to inject an observation of
has largely taken place in a university setting,  my own. It is not only the public that has been
with  several  interruptions  for  service  in  skeptical of our role in the policy-making  pro-
Washington.  The bulk  of my career has been  cess.  I have heard  the same skepticism  from
in Washington,  either as  a staff economist in  our  own.  Only  a  few  years  before  I  heard
the USDA  or for the Congress,  with several  Carol  Tucker  Foreman,  Assistant Secretary
interruptions for education or employment at  for Food  and  Consumer  Services,  plead  for
various  universities.  Yet  what  I  find  in-  our  help  at  the  1978  AAEA  meeting  in
teresting is how much  I agree with what he  Blacksburg,  a  well-known  research  ad-
has written. I will begin by summarizing some  ministrator told me personally that he wasn't
of the  points I found most  interesting  in his  going to  waste his agency's  resources  doing
paper and will interject some comments of my  research  on  the  policy  issues  of  the  day
own in appropriate  places.  because  politicians  weren't  interested  in
Dr.  Bonnen  tells us that  today's problems  economic  analysis. Even within the last year,
create a unique window of opportunity for the  I  received  a  letter with  a  draft  manuscript
social  sciences.  As an example  of these prob-  that  a would-be  policy analyst had  prepared
lems,  he  points out that  the globalization  of  but could  not get cleared for publication.  Let
agricultural  markets  has  turned the  agricul-  me  quote  one  sentence  from  that  letter:  "I
tural policy crises of individual nations  into a  understand  the  sensitivity  of  [his  agency]
single,  worldwide international  trade crisis-  recommending policy change, but wonder how
which is now beyond the reach of the policy ac-  social scientists in [his agency] can develop 'in-
tions of nations acting alone. He also mentions  stitutional  innovations'  in  Ruttan's  words
genetic engineering  and information  technol-  under  such  a publication  process."  In  short,
ogies as others which, while creating new pro-  the burden of proof is on us to demonstrate we
ductivity,  bring  many  unanticipated  and  have  a useful  contribution to make. We have
undesired  side  effects.  Adapting agricultural  to be not only able,  but willing, to help. This
and  rural  social  institutions  and  policies  to  may  at  times  require  as  much  courage  as
these and other new technologies  presents  a  brains.
substantial  research and  education  challenge  The framework for Dr. Bonnen's discussion
in  the  social  sciences.  Promoting  knowledge  of the role of social sciences in the policy arena
for modifying existing institutions or develop-  is his classification  of the types of knowledge
ing new institutions is a primary responsibil-  into  three  unique  categories:  disciplinary  or
ity for the social  sciences.  basic,  subject  matter,  and  problem  solving.
Dr. Bonnen cautions that the window of op-  The last is the form of knowledge relevant to a
portunity  is  problematic.  While  there  are  decision maker with a specific problem.
many  problems  that  require  social  science  Using  this  framework,  Dr.  Bonnen
knowledge,  there  is  a  public  skepticism  of  demonstrates  that  economic  analysis  and
social  sciences that must be  overcome  before  policy analysis are not two different labels for
the  support  for  research  and  other  profes-  the  same  process.  Societal  problems  do  not
A. Barry Carr is with the Congressional  Research  Service,  Library of Congress.
Invited  discussion  presented  at the annual  meeting  of the Southern  Agricultural  Economics  Association,  Nashville,  Tennessee,
February 6-8,  1989. Invited discussions are routinely published in the July SJAE without editorial council review but with review of the
copy editor (as per Executive Committee  action June 25,  1982).
Copyright 1989,  Southern  Agricultural Economics  Association.
51come arranged and delimited by discipline.  In-  When  I mentioned  to  an  advocate  of  decou-
asmuch  as  policy  decision  making  is  essen-  pling, a senior fellow at a prominent research
tially a problem-solving  matter, and therefore  institution, that current program beneficiaries
multidisciplinary  and  prescriptive,  it  is  not  will oppose such a change unless they are com-
based  solely  on  economics  or  any  other one  pensated in  some way, he  loftily replied that
discipline.  Economic  analysis  is  often  a  they  had  no  right  to  their program  entitle-
necessary input to policy analysis, but it is not  ments and therefore  should be disregarded. It
sufficient.  In  fact,  he  states  that  very  fre-  is advice  like this that should be disregarded!
quently  economics  is  not  the  dominant  ele-  For as Dr. Bonnen has pointed out, implicit in
ment of a policy analysis, even when the prob-  any  set  of  decision  rules  is  the  existing
lem is primarily economic.  distribution of power.
I will  add additional emphasis to this point.  Another  characteristic  of  policy  analysis
If there is public  skepticism of social  sciences  stressed by  Dr.  Bonnen  is  that the  decision
in general,  surely the public has reserved its  process is dynamic. One-shot, static analysis is
most  vigorous  skepticism  for  economists.  seldom adequate.  Most often several analyses
Here  are  several  titles of articles  that  have  must  be  done  with different  sets  of assump-
gathered in my files:  tions before a policy decision is final.  I believe
"It's Dismal All Right-But Is It Science?"  this  might  be  the  reason  some  economists
Article in January 30, 1989, Business Week by  think  policymakers  don't  want  economic
Robert Kuttner.  analysis. Just because a policymaker can't use
"Bricks  without  Straw,  Making  Economic  an  old,  stale,  static,  canned  analysis  that
Policy  out  of  Economics."  Article  in  the  somebody  pulls  off  the  shelf,  doesn't  mean
September  1984 AEI Economist by Herbert  that  the  policymaker  wouldn't  value  an
Stein.  analysis that is relevant to the problem under
"Can Economists be Taken Seriously?"  Col-  consideration.  The very best policy analysis is
umn in the January 5,  1989, Washington Post  done  in  an  interactive  relationship  with  the
by Hobart  Rowan.  decisionmaker.
"Why  Economists  Disagree."  Article  in  *  *  "Why  Economists  Disagree."  Article  in  Dr.  Bonnen closes  his paper  with  a  discus-
November  2,  1981,  Newsweek  by  Charles  sion of the dilemma our profession and our in-
Wolf, Jr., where he states, "Economists share  stitutions  have  in  organizing  to  do  policy
a degree  of ignorance whose  extent they are  research  while  at the same time maintaining
understandably loath to admit."  the  appropriate  balance  between  the  three
It  would  seem  that  economists  have  few  types  knowledge  identified  earlier:
defenders  and much to live down. I believe it  disciplinary  subject  matter  and  problem disciplinary,  subject  matter,  and  problem is the arrogance of those in our profession who  Encouragingly,  he gives  agriculture, I  . . . . . solving.  Encouragingly, he  gives agriculture, cannot  see  beyond their disciplinary  blinders  along  with  medicine,  good  marks  as  an
that has hurt  us the most.  Let me give  two  academic subject where there has been decent
brief examples of experiences I have had with  coordination  of these  three  areas.  But main-
economists recently. economists recenty.  taining  such  a  balance  requires  skillful  ad-
Congress  has  debated  ways  to  encourage  ministration and resource allocation. A key in-
the production  and use of alcohol  as a motor  gredient  is the  system used  to  evaluate  and
fuel. Several USDA studies on this topic have  reward the work of our people.
all concluded that as long as it costs more to
produce  a gallon  of  alcohol  than  a gallon  of  If Dr.  Bonnen  is  correct  in  his  conclusion
gasoline,  alcohol  fuels  are  bad public  policy.  that  society  has  undenvested  in  social
Unfortunately,  while  Congress  is  thinking  sciences relative to the biological and physical
about  such  public  concerns  as  air  quality,  ciences,  I would ask why this has happened.
energy security,  excess  agricultural capacity,  Whose fault is it? What can be done about it?
and  economic  activity  in  rural  areas,  Will not the research programs of the most en-
economists  cannot  see  beyond  prices  at  the  trepreneurial  people and the most innovative
gas pump.  institutions grow  and prosper?
The second example is a current proposal to  Just as policymaking is a process of coalition
eliminate  farm  programs  that  couple  pay-  formation  among  those  who  hold  power,  so
ments  to  the  production  or  marketing  of  a  also is policy analysis a process of coalition for-
commodity-in  other  words,  decoupling.  mation among those who hold knowledge.
52

RELEVANCY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES IN THE POLICY ARENA: IMPLICATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS: DISCUSSION

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