Behavioral Economics: Policy Impact and Future Directions

OBSSR and other NIH institutes and centers sponsor a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that examines the evidence for behavioral economics and its application in six public policy domains: health, retirement benefits, climate change, social safety net benefits, education, and criminal justice. The report concludes that the principles of behavioral economics are indispensable for the design of policy and recommends integrating behavioral specialists into policy development within government units. In addition, the report calls for strengthening research methodology and identifies research priorities for building on the accomplishments of the field to date.