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Value Judgments and Efficiency in Publicly Supported Research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2015

George W. Ladd*
Affiliation:
Iowa State University

Extract

This paper is concerned only with research that is intended to guide, influence, or illuminate public policy choices. As professionals, we economists exhibit an unfortunate contradiction in values. Economists insist on making value judgments because they are needed to do research on public policy issues, and, simultaneously, insist on not discussing them, thereby keeping ourselves ignorant about what we are doing.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 1983

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