How should governments persuade their citizens to get vaccinated against Covid-19, save more for retirement, consume less water and electricity, pay their taxes on time, comply with public health rules, lead healthier lifestyles, and drive less? Instead of employing coercive measures or financial incentives (or disincentives), can governments shape people’s behaviors without reducing choice and liberty? In recent years, insights from behavioral economics have begun to influence policy in many domains, including health and retirement, consumer finance, energy and the environment, tax and social security, public and private transport, and many other areas where governments hope to change or influence people’s behaviors.
Instead of assuming that our citizens are the rational, interest-maximizing agents we find in economics textbooks, behavioral insights start with the more realistic assumption that we are affected by various behavioral biases and cognitive complications. A growing body of research shows numerous ways in which individuals act in ways that run counter to the predictions of standard economics. Our rationality, self-control and self-interest are all limited in ways that have important implications for the way governments design, implement and communicate policies.
This one-day workshop, facilitated by Professor Donald Low of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, will offer participants an introduction to behavioral insights and ways to design and communicate government programs in behaviorally compatible ways.
Objectives
- Explain key behavioural concepts and how they can or have been applied to public policies and programs.
- Examine how applying behavioural insights can increase compliance or citizen participation.
- Explore how public policies can be designed, implemented, and communicated by harnessing behavioral insights.
This is a customised workshop for Civil Service College.