Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis

Monograph Series Cover

The EWU Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis was created in 2002 to provide data and analysis about a variety of factors in the region that will be useful for businesses, communities and others as they plan for the future.

The Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis engages in research to different communities, counties, cities, and regions on topics as far-ranging as health, economic vitality, education, and specific programmatic issues to help these various stakeholders in their pursuits.

One of the major projects that the Institute undertook from 2003-2014 as an initiative of the Board of Trustees of Eastern Washington University, with the purpose of connecting faculty research with regional-specific issues and questions.

What is Research?

Research is process that scholars undertake in order to investigate a substantive issue and establish facts, conduct analysis, or argue a specific position. The majority of research produced by Eastern Washington University is by individual faculty. However, students also engage in research, often through the annual Student Research and Creative Works Symposium. Additionally, research about Eastern Washington University as an institution is conducted by the Office of Institutional Research. The Institute of Public Policy and Economic Analysis is a research center affiliated with Eastern's College of Business that focuses on research relating to the Inland Northwest region, economics, as well as public policy and administration.

Research Projects

The monograph series, which began in 2004, produced 19 different in-depth research reports by EWU faculty, staff, and students. Including disciplines such as economics, sociology, and government, this series provides an interdisciplinary perspective on pressing questions facing the Inland Northwest and Washington State.

Various governments, businesses, and other entitites have contracted the Institute to create an impact analysis or report regarding proposed or current projects to measure efficacy or provide evidence-based and data-informed analysis of policy. This is one of the many ways that the Institute serves the region by informing public policy.

Quarterly, some of the Community Indicators projects publish a corresponding newsletter that delves into a particular indicator, providing a community perspective and update as to its current status. This research, which is more journalistic in nature, provides a deep, accessible review of different trends in the community.