Comments for Opinion - Policy Nexus http://www.lispop.ca/blog Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:49:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Comment on The Irrationality of Teaching Kids the ABC Song by Karen Lochead http://www.lispop.ca/blog/2013/06/18/the-irrationality-of-teaching-kids-the-abc-song/#comment-128601 Karen Lochead Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:49:17 +0000 http://www.lispop.ca/blog/?p=1808#comment-128601 If you want a totally different take on the ABCs check out the Barenaked Ladies song “Crazy ABCs” from their children’s album “Snacktime”. Lyrics include “A” is for aisle; “C” is for czar; “P” is for pneumonia. You can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbT5UXjWe0M

]]> Comment on Accepting NDP ideas could create Wynne-win situation by Fraser http://www.lispop.ca/blog/2013/05/13/accepting-ndp-ideas-could-create-wynne-win-situation/#comment-120171 Fraser Tue, 14 May 2013 16:49:42 +0000 http://www.lispop.ca/blog/?p=1692#comment-120171 Excellent and insightful analysis, as usual. Bravo.

]]> Comment on The Limits of Evidence-Based Policymaking by Simon Kiss http://www.lispop.ca/blog/2013/04/30/the-limits-of-evidence-based-policymaking/#comment-118163 Simon Kiss Wed, 01 May 2013 13:47:25 +0000 http://www.lispop.ca/blog/?p=1589#comment-118163 Hi Patrick:
Thanks for the comment. Your comment on the role that natural scientists play (or want to play) is interesting and probably true. I’m aware of the vastness of the field; I think my next, next paper out of the BPA project might try to address that.

I’ve been particularly enjoying scholars like Roger Pielke, Jr. and Judith Curry for their contributions in this regard. They’re very nuanced. Both are active bloggers; if you haven’t, give them a look.

]]> Comment on The Limits of Evidence-Based Policymaking by Patrick Fafard http://www.lispop.ca/blog/2013/04/30/the-limits-of-evidence-based-policymaking/#comment-118162 Patrick Fafard Wed, 01 May 2013 13:40:26 +0000 http://www.lispop.ca/blog/?p=1589#comment-118162 This is an excellent post. I particularly like the suggestion that the continuing popularity of evidence-based policy making is in part because o the liberal embrace of procedural conceptions of justice and the linked hope that good process can minimize “the nastiness of politics”. Because for many, the opposite of evidence-based policy is some combination of “politics” and “ideology” (with both terms being used pejoratively). However, I would add to the analysis the argument that the popularity of evidence-based policy making among those trained in the natural sciences is because they see policy making as directly analogous to the scientific problem solving they are experts in (i.e., define the problem, gather the evidence, find the best answer and implement). That said, there is a vast literature on the role of (scientific) evidence in policy making that suggests, more broadly, that “evidence-based policy making” is more of a slogan than anything else and is rooted in a misunderstanding of both science and policy.

]]> Comment on Canadian Liberalism and the Politics of Border Control: An interview with author Chris Anderson by Immigration Law Firm http://www.lispop.ca/blog/2013/02/20/canadian-liberalism-and-the-politics-of-border-control-an-interview-with-author-chris-anderson/#comment-90179 Immigration Law Firm Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:23:18 +0000 http://www.lispop.ca/blog/?p=1279#comment-90179 Inspiring! This is a very relevant topic in the present scenario.

]]> Comment on Mentors and Giants of (Canadian) Political Science: An Interview with Tom Flanagan by ap http://www.lispop.ca/blog/2013/02/05/mentors-and-giants-of-canadian-political-science-an-interview-with-tom-flanagan/#comment-86002 ap Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:25:55 +0000 http://www.lispop.ca/blog/?p=1173#comment-86002 I just fail to see what a political party would do with the information from a multivariate analysis that they cannot already do from a cross tabulation. I’m genuinely asking this, it seems like he has something in mind I just don’t see what it is.

]]> Comment on Mentors and Giants of (Canadian) Political Science: An Interview with Tom Flanagan by Christopher Alcantara http://www.lispop.ca/blog/2013/02/05/mentors-and-giants-of-canadian-political-science-an-interview-with-tom-flanagan/#comment-86001 Christopher Alcantara Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:22:26 +0000 http://www.lispop.ca/blog/?p=1173#comment-86001 Hi Anthony,

I think that was Tom’s point. He’s hoping someone can find a way to present mulitvariate analysis in an accessible manner to the general public.

Chris

]]> Comment on Mentors and Giants of (Canadian) Political Science: An Interview with Tom Flanagan by ap http://www.lispop.ca/blog/2013/02/05/mentors-and-giants-of-canadian-political-science-an-interview-with-tom-flanagan/#comment-85876 ap Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:15:15 +0000 http://www.lispop.ca/blog/?p=1173#comment-85876 “There’s a big opportunity waiting for someone who understands modern multivariate analysis to take it public, if they can figure how to communicate it. Most public polling is pretty simplistic, because the pollsters haven’t figured out how to communicate advanced analysis to politicians and their staff.”

What does he mean by this? I can’t figure out what this would look like in practice.

]]> Comment on Public Opinion, Precaution and Toxicology by Christopher Alcantara http://www.lispop.ca/blog/2013/02/12/public-opinion-precaution-and-toxicology/#comment-85458 Christopher Alcantara Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:59:04 +0000 http://www.lispop.ca/blog/?p=1251#comment-85458 Simon,

Another great post. Very timely as well, given the recent debate about the need to regulate the amount of caffeine in so called “energy drinks.”

Chris

]]> Comment on Idle No More? by Christopher Alcantara http://www.lispop.ca/blog/2013/02/08/idle-no-more/#comment-85094 Christopher Alcantara Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:17:23 +0000 http://www.lispop.ca/blog/?p=1187#comment-85094 Simon,

This is a great post. It seems that the end of Chief Spence’s fast also marked the end of the media’s interest in the movement.

Chris

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