Public Policy Survey of Political Scientists: A Proposal

I have been quietly pitching an idea of establishing a survey political scientists modeled after the University of Chicago’s Booth School IGM Panel. In the IGM survey, they ask an established panel of top economists one or two survey questions on topics like the impact of the minimum wage on unemployment, the economic returns to infrastructure spending, and the predicted economic impact of Scottish independence. See here for their latest survey:

My idea is slightly different. Rather than surveying the same group of scholars, why not ask different experts based on the topic? This allows us to harness the power of specialized knowledge and to include a much wider set of individuals to weigh in on topics.

The problem with this sort of proposal is that I am sure it will come under fire on how I select questions and how I establish a panel.

Rather than debate this, why not just give it a try?

So here is my proposal. First, I am going to select a questions, actually statements, with some feedback via this website or email.

Here is my first cut. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Statement 1: Effectiveness of airstrikes on ISIS

The current airstrikes on ISIS will roll back their advances in the region.

  1. Strongly agree
  2. Agree
  3. Neither agree nor disagree
  4. Disagree
  5. Strongly Disagree
  6. No opinion

Statement 2: Support for Strikes

I support the President’s decision to strike ISIS.

  1. Strongly agree
  2. Agree
  3. Neither Agree nor disagree
  4. Disagree
  5. Strongly Disagree
  6. No opinion

Statement 3: If the airstrikes against ISIS continues beyond two years, the public will not support continued action against ISIS.

  1. Strongly agree
  2. Agree
  3. Neither agree nor disagree
  4. Disagree
  5. Strongly Disagree
  6. No Opinion

Second, the editors at the journal International Interactions, have agreed to help me identify scholars on each topic, similarly to how they would find reviewers for research articles. Together, we will then ask potential panelists whether they would be willing to be a part of this project and provide answers.

There are obviously other models, but I’d like to at least give this one a try. Send me an email if you have suggestions.

Update:  I’ve already received some feedback on question working.  Minor changes incorporated.