This proposal is a Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) request to conduct a 2 day workshop examining the role of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) in informing public policy decisions. Cost-benefit analysis is widely regarded as an appropriate tool for judging the merits of public policy initiatives. At the same time, however, there is great deal of controversy regarding which methods for establishing costs and benefits are most accurate and, more fundamentally, whether CBA is able to capture relevant values irrespective of the specific methods used. There are also questions regarding the application of CBA that are unique to specific policy contexts (e.g., energy, environment, or urban policy). The planned workshop will bring together a large number of experts on CBA. Individuals included come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. Some are primarily theoreticians while others are practioners. Some are in academia while others are in government. The objectives of the workshop are to discuss both the general and specific issues associated with the use of CBA, to establish potentially fruitful avenues and topics for future research on CBA, and to establish a network among researchers and practioners interested in CBA.
