From nudges to systems: conditions for the effectiveness of the behavioral approach in public policy
From nudges to systems: conditions for the effectiveness of the behavioral approach in public policy

Summary/Abstract: RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The aim of the article is to identify the institutional and organizational conditions that enhance the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in public administration, and to demonstrate how knowledge about human bounded rationality can be sustainably integrated into the design and implementation of public policies, ranging from single nudges to system-level solutions. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: This study investigates why promising behavioral interventions (BI) often fail to yield lasting institutional change and identifies organizational features supporting their effectiveness. It employs a qualitative analysis of behavioral economics literature, examines the PRECIS and LOGIC frameworks, and reviews empirical studies on BI in public administration. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The argument reviews classical and behavioral rationality, heuristics, and biases in citizens and officials. It then presents the shift from isolated nudges to systemic approaches. Finally, it analyzes organizational effectiveness conditions using the PRECIS and LOGIC frameworks and research on implementation barriers. RESEARCH RESULTS: The analysis reveals that the effectiveness of behavioral interventions depends primarily on their integration into administrative structures and decision-making cultures, rather than design alone. The PRECIS and LOGIC frameworks identify key readiness dimensions: leadership, objectives, governance, policy integration, and analytical capabilities. Reviewed studies highlight barriers like the absence of evidence-based traditions, limited resources, reluctance to experiment, political concerns, and dominant legalistic cultures. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The article demonstrates that a behavioral approach can become a durable element of public policy only if accompanied by parallel institutional change. The innovative contribution lies in linking debates on rationality and heuristics with frameworks for assessing institutional capacity to apply BI and with a catalogue of implementation barriers.

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