The future of behavioural tools in public policy

This chapter identifies the key challenges associated with the adoption of behavioural policy tools and assesses how far behavioural policy has attempted to engage with these issues. The interaction of behavioural tools with the available and often-competing policy instruments can influence the policy outcome in unintended ways. The database of 101 behavioural studies represented roughly 2% of all the articles that were published in the four public policy journals between 1990 to 2016. Through a bibliometric analysis of the top ranked public policy journals, we traced the evolution of behavioural policy research over time and across regions. Establishing a decision rule brought to the fore definitional issues that characterize behavioural policy at large. A relatively restricted geographical spread: About half of all behavioural policy studies are focused on the US, although in recent years, other regions are making forays. Copyright © 2023 selection and editorial matter, Michael Howlett; individual chapters, the contributors.