On Evidence-Based Political Science

The advent of the evidence-based movement in fields as varied as medicine, criminology, and education represents not simply a new thirst for evidence, but for evidence of a particular kind. Far from issuing banal appeals for data, advocates of evidence-based practice emphasize the need for experimental research conducted in real-world settings. The strength of experimental research derives from the use of randomization procedures, which ensure an unbiased comparison between treatment and control groups.