Over the past years various governments have introduced so-called “nudge units”, by which they pay tribute to the challenging task of translating behavioural insights into policy-making and law-making. Behavioural economics as a discipline is characterized by research identifying how people, for instance consumers, really act. It shows how they can systematically deviate from rational behavior. Such insights are generally established by interdisciplinary work involving psychologists, sociologists, lawyers and economists.
Following the U.S. (“Social and Behavioral Sciences Team”) and Great Britain (“Behavioural Insights Team”) also the German Chancellery is currently in the process of setting up such an interdisciplinary team to apply empirical evidence from behavioural economics in public policy making.
