ABSTRACT
Politicians, constituents, lobbyists, media analysts, and advocates all attempt to influence social policy for children (Hayes, 1982). Often, policymakers are influenced by compelling argument alone. Policymakers have also turned to social science research to guide their decision making about public expenditures for children's programs (Weiss & Bucuvalas, 1980). Descriptive research on incidence rates for problems such as poverty, malnutrition, and school failure provides a signal to policymakers about the need for intervention (Kamerman, 1996). Evaluation research informs policymakers about the benefits of programs (McCall, Green, Strauss, & Groark, 1998). Even basic research is sometimes brought to bear on policy decisions; for example, research on brain development has focused the attention of policymakers on the need for early care and education in the first three years of life (Bruer, 1998).
