| ID | 122485 |
| Title Proper | Experimentation, behaviour change and public policy |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | John, Peter |
| Publication | 2013. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Citizens will need to change their behaviour in pro-social ways if governments are to address current challenges in public policy. But how best to promote behaviour change? The argument in this article is that a decentralised rather than a top-down approach is particularly suitable, which can encourage innovation in the public sector and involve citizens in the implementation of policies. As a method of evaluating interventions, randomised controlled trials have a unique role to play in improving the design of policies, particularly if carried out responsively and adaptively. A culture of experimentation would value curiosity, feedback and the continual testing of interventions. The article includes three examples of experimentation: young people's political attitudes, voter turnout and donations for charity. As the popularity of 'nudge' interventions grows-shown by the success of the UK government's Behavioural Insights Team-the practice of experimentation in the public sector could become the norm. |
| `In' analytical Note | Political Quarterly Vol. 84, No.2; Apr-Jun 2013: p.238-246 |
| Journal Source | Political Quarterly Vol. 84, No.2; Apr-Jun 2013: p.238-246 |
| Key Words | Experiments ; Randomised Controlled Trials ; Behaviour Change ; Implementation ; Decentralisation ; Nudge |