Nudge Nudge, Think Think: Two Strategies for Changing Civic Behaviour |
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| Authors: | PETER JOHN GRAHAM SMITH GERRY STOKER |
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| Institution: | Hallsworth Chair of Governance at the University of Manchester, where he is Co-Director of the Institute for Political and Economic Governance (IPEG).;Professor of Politics in the School of Social Sciences, University of Southampton.;Professor of Politics and Governance at the University of Southampton. |
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| Abstract: | This paper reviews two contrasting approaches governments use to engage the citizen to promote better public policy outcomes: nudging citizens using the insights of behavioural economics, as summarised by Thaler and Sunstein (2009) or giving citizens the space to think through and debate solutions, as indicated by proponents of deliberative democracy. The paper summarises each approach, giving examples; then it compares and contrast them, illustrating their relative strengths and weaknesses. The paper concludes by suggesting that the approaches share some common features and policy-makers could useful draw upon both. |
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| Keywords: | behavioural economics nudge deliberative democracy citizen engagement public policy outcomes |
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