Survey Experiments in Public Policy: A Systematic Literature Review

2025/06/24 by Radek Kovács, Arnošt Veselý · 1 voice
Social Sciences · Mathematics · #Survey Methodology and Nonresponse #Survey Sampling and Estimation Techniques #Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies

paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/ropr.70040

openalex publication_date 2025/06/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

ABSTRACT This systematic literature review examines population‐based survey experiments (PBSE) in public policy, analyzing 36 peer‐reviewed articles from Web of Science and Scopus databases. Based on PBSE methodological literature and the review, four main types of PBSE are distinguished: methodological, direct (based on information provision), indirect (based on priming and framing), and factorial. The paper reviews the usage and main findings of PBSE in five policy domains: education, health, anti‐crime, pension, and social policies. The main strengths, challenges, and “best practices” of PBSE relevant to policy scholars are summarized. The paper concludes with implications for future research.

Citations

• Are Survey Experiments Externally Valid?
• How teachers form educational expectations for students: A comparative factorial survey experiment in three institutional contexts
• Narrative premiums in policy persuasion
• Responsibility for impairment shapes the perceived deservingness of welfare claimants with disabilities
• Re-evaluating the welfare preferences of radical-right voters: evidence from a vignette experiment

Discussions

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