Cross-Case Comparison Matrix
Matrix (3 Cases)
| Variable | #001: Student Loans | #002: Healthcare.gov | #003: Cash for Clunkers |
|---|
| Policy design | Adequate | Adequate | Adequate |
| Authority alignment | Misaligned | Aligned | Aligned |
| Dependency concentration | High | High | Low |
| Implementation debt | High | High | Low to moderate |
| Veto fragility | High | Low | Low |
| Execution fragility | Low | High | Low |
| Adaptive capacity | Not tested | Absent → Recovered | Adequate |
| Outcome | Blocked | Failed → Recovered | Partial success |
| Primary diagnosis | Fragility (veto) | Capacity + Fragility (execution) | Design adequacy |
Emerging Patterns (Tentative, n=3)
- Dependency concentration correlates with implementation vulnerability across both failure cases.
- Implementation debt predates failure in both failure cases; low debt correlates with smoother implementation in the partial success case.
- Low fragility in both dimensions correlates with implementation success.
- Capacity domain analysis prevents overgeneralization—Case #002 was not “incapable” generally but weak in specific domains.
Next Steps
Patterns remain tentative at n=3. Pattern Reports will be generated when patterns persist across 5+ cases with diverse configurations.
Change Log
| Version | Date | Changes | Rationale |
|---|
| v0.1 | 2026-07-11 | Initial matrix | Baseline from first three cases |