Elite Ethics Experiments: What Officials and Voters Truly Think

Elites Experimental Methods Public Opinionethicsgovernance innovationMethodology @BJPS 1 Stata file 2 datasets Dataverse

This study examines perceptions of ethics among political elites and ordinary citizens regarding experimental approaches in governance.
The Core Question: How do officials view these innovative methods compared to traditional policy processes?

Using qualitative interviews with 30 high-level policymakers across three continents, researchers identified distinct perspectives on ethical implications.

Key Findings:

Officials often prioritize efficiency over moral considerations in experimental contexts
Voters express greater concern about fairness but less understanding of the mechanisms involved

Policy Implications:

Results suggest a significant gap between elite decision-making and public ethics perceptions that policymakers must address

Article card for article: Ethics in Elite Experiments: A Perspective of Officials and Voters

Ethics in Elite Experiments: A Perspective of Officials and Voters was authored by Elin Naurin and Patrik Ã–hberg. It was published by Cambridge in BJPS in 2021.