The value of paired and longitudinal surveys in public administration research

Abstract

Surveys among bureaucrats are a widely used tool of data collection in public administration research. However, survey researchers in public administration are facing various challenges, such as declining response rates among bureaucrat respondents and limited respondent pools. Moreover, researchers seeking to establish robust empirical evidence on the drivers of bureaucrats’ behaviour and attitudes encounter difficulties in collecting longitudinal individual-level data. This article argues that the research community should collectively address these challenges and demonstrates one way to achieve this: by establishing a researcher-driven survey infrastructure. We present such a novel survey infrastructure that may serve as a prototype for implementing this research agenda worldwide. We illustrate the innovative potential of combining longitudinal and paired research designs that involve parallel surveys of relevant stakeholders, including politicians and citizens. Finally, the article discusses dilemmas and trade-offs in the operation of survey infrastructures for public administration research.