Bottlenecks for Evidence Adoption

Area of Science:

• Public Policy
• Behavioral Economics
• Government Innovation

Background:

• Governments increasingly utilize randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate policy innovations.
• Understanding how policy-making incorporates evidence from these trials remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factors influencing the adoption of evidence-based interventions tested via RCTs in U.S. cities.
• To identify predictors of policy adoption following government-led RCTs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 73 RCTs conducted across 30 U.S. cities in collaboration with a national Nudge Unit.
• Statistical examination of adoption rates based on evidence strength, city characteristics, and implementation methods.

Main Results:

• Nudge treatments were adopted into city communications in 27% of the evaluated RCTs.
• Evidence strength and city features were weak predictors of adoption.
• RCTs implemented using pre-existing communication channels showed significantly higher adoption rates compared to those using new communication.

Conclusions:

• The adoption of tested policy innovations is primarily driven by implementation feasibility rather than the strength of scientific evidence.
• Organizational inertia, favoring integration with existing infrastructure, significantly influences policy adoption decisions.
• Future policy innovation should consider the role of existing communication systems for successful integration.