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Be Happy: Navigating Normative Issues in Behavioral and Well-Being Public Policy
1Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge.
Summary
Well-being public policy (WPP) faces ethical criticism, similar to behavioral public policy (BPP). "Boosts" offer a framework for WPP legitimacy, unlike "nudging," addressing policy application concerns.
Area of Science:
- Psychological science
- Public policy
- Behavioral public policy (BPP)
- Well-being public policy (WPP)
Background:
- Psychological science significantly impacts public policy.
- Behavioral public policy (BPP) broadly influenced policy domains.
- Well-being public policy (WPP) is an emerging field facing ethical and political criticism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normative principles for applying psychological science in public policy, specifically for WPP.
- To analyze criticisms of WPP and compare them to past criticisms of BPP.
- To propose an alternative framework for WPP legitimacy.
Main Methods:
- Distilling normative principles from debates over BPP.
- Analyzing the normative and epistemic foundations of BPP (libertarian paternalism/nudging).
- Evaluating the suitability of the nudge framework for WPP and introducing the 'boosts' framework.
Main Results:
- The uptake of BPP was linked to its libertarian paternalism (nudging) foundation.
- The nudge framework is deemed inappropriate for WPP.
- The 'boosts' framework provides a viable alternative for legitimizing well-being and behavioral policies.
Conclusions:
- Interdisciplinary work is needed to establish normative principles for psychological science in public policy.
- WPP requires a distinct framework, such as 'boosts,' for ethical and political legitimacy.
- Some WPPs can be promoted as 'boosts,' but may not fully meet the criteria.
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