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Module POL2097 for 2020/1
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2097: Behavioural Public Policy and the Nudge Agenda
This module descriptor refers to the 2020/1 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover the following topics:
- What is Behavioural Public Policy?
- Bounded Rationality; The Automatic and the Reflective System
- Nudge & Libertarian Paternalism
- Key Insights from Behavioural Economics: Behavioural Biases and Heuristics in Decision-Making
- Social psychological insights
- Nudge techniques; Nudge and the wider Government Toolkit
- Nudging Citizens, Nudging Politicians and Bureaucrats
Throughout the module we discuss a variety of policy applications as outlined below, linking these to the underlying theory from behavioural economics and social psychology, and reviewing the empirical evidence of their effects:
- Health & Lifestyle
- Pro-Environmental Behaviours
- Payment of taxes
- Savings and financial behaviour
- Civic behaviour/ voting
In the last part of the module, we consider ethical and normative questions surrounding the use of behavioural public policy, evaluate the merits or otherwise of this approach and discuss how behavioural policy techniques can be complementary to others.
- Ethical issues surrounding behavioural public policy
- The Politics of Libertarian Paternalism
- Combining Nudge with Regulation – ‘Budge’
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 | 11 x 2 hour Seminars a mix of formal lectures, class and small group discussions, non-assessed presentation of group task/s |
| Guided Independent Study | 50 | Reading and seminar preparation including take home summary sheets |
| Guided Independent Study | 25 | Preparation for research briefing |
| Guided independent study | 25 | Preparation for essay |
| Guided independent study | 28 | Preparation for non-assessed group task/s mix of individual and group preparation |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
