Abstract

In 2010, David Cameron set up the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) also known as the ‘Nudge Unit’ at Number 10 Downing Street, which uses behavioural economics to examine and influence human behaviour; to ‘nudge’ us to make better decisions. Dr David Halpern, a behavioural scientist, has headed up BIT , now a social purpose company, since 2010. The approach is to make small changes to policy to lead to improvements across tax, healthcare, pensions, employment, crime reduction, energy conservation and economic growth. In this lecture David will draw on his 2015 book, Inside the Nudge Unit, to reflect on the nudge approach and the application of behavioural economics to public policy.

This lecture is presented by the Public Policy Strategic Research Initiative (SRI), Masters in Public Policy (MPP), Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) and Cambridge University Science and Policy Exchange (CUSPE).