Economics Research Seminar

Title: From Nudging to Budging: Using Behavioural Economics to Inform Public Sector Policy

Abstract
The use of behavioural economics to inform policy has over recent years been captured
by those who advocate nudge interventions. Nudge is a non-regulatory approach that attempts
to motivate individual behaviour change through subtle alterations in the choice environments
that people face. It is argued in this article that government interventions ought to be more overt
than that traditionally advocated by nudge adherents, and that governments should principally
attempt to influence behaviour if the acts of those targeted are causing harm to others. With
this in mind, governments can use the findings of behavioural economics, including present
bias and loss aversion, to informwhere and how to regulate directly against undesirable private
sector activities. This behavioural economic-informed method of regulation is hereby termed
budge, to indicate that, rather than nudging citizens, behavioural economics might be used
more appropriately in the public sector to help inform regulation that budges harmful private
sector activities.

Please join the Economics Department for a research seminar.  This event is open to all Case Western Reserve University faculty, Ph.D. students, economic majors and minors, and those interested in economics research.
 
Contact Information:
Teresa Kabat
teresa.kabat@case.edu
216.368.4110