WHY BEHAVIOURAL POLICY NEEDS MECHANISTIC EVIDENCE. (20th November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Grüne-Yanoff, Till
• Is Part Of: Economics and philosophy. Volume 32:Number 3(2016:Nov.)
• Page Start: 463
• Page End: 483
• Publication Date: 2015-11-20
• Subjects: Policy, -- Mechanisms, -- Nudge, -- Evidence, -- Welfare; Economics -- Philosophy -- Periodicals; 330.01
• DOI: 10.1017/S0266267115000425
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0266-2671

Abstract

Abstract: Proponents of behavioural policies seek to justify them as 'evidence-based'. Yet they typically fail to show through which mechanisms these policies operate. This paper shows – at the hand of examples from economics and psychology – that without sufficient mechanistic evidence, one often cannot determine whether a given policy in its target environment will be effective, robust, persistent or welfare-improving. Because these properties are important for justification, policies that lack sufficient support from mechanistic evidence should not be called 'evidence-based'.