In this presentation, I briefly discuss the methodological approaches used in the teaching of modern data analysis for policy analysis and related majors at the intermediate/upper-intermediate level. Particular focus will be on the development of a conceptual bridge between traditional econometric methods, which remain the primary statistical tools in policy analysis, and modern methods of data analysis – Statistical Learning via Bayesian Networks. Finally, I will present several examples of using the BayesiaLab software package in empirical studies in different fields of policy analysis: international migration, cybersecurity, and environmental policy.
Alexander Alexeev, Ph.D. Lecturer in Data Analysis and Modeling Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana Unversity