Developing a questionnaire to measure policy preferences
Abstract
This dissertation argues that South Africa faces significant economic challenges that have to be addressed through policy reforms. Since 1994 various strategies and programmes have been proposed and implemented with varying degrees of success. Though there is some agreement about the economic development destination that we want to achieve, there is significant contestation about how to get there. The consistency of policies and coherence of policy preferences are essential for generating the trust needed to implement reforms. What are the policy preferences of South Africans? This matters as preferences should determine the choices available to policymakers. One way to know, is to ask people. The problem that this study aims to address is the development and pilot study of a questionnaire that measures policy preferences. It follows the U.S. example of the IMG Economic Experts Survey. The pilot survey of students at the North-West University shows that they do not hold clear pro-market, or pro-intervention views. In fact, they prefer combinations of policies that speaks more to a mixed economy than to the extremes of the free market vs. developmental state debate.