Dear colleagues,
CPPA invites you to an informal lunch and roundtable discussion on Behavior and Public Policy: Lessons for Confronting Climate Change
The field of behavioral economics has identified regularities in decision-making that challenge policy analysis based on rational-choice models. The importance of rules of thumb, inertia, salience, focal points, framing, identity, fairness, altruism, envy, and other “deviations” from rational-choice models has been established in laboratory experiments and practical observation, but their implications have not been extended to application in policy analysis. Both macro and micro approaches to climate change policy, from national adoption of the Kyoto Protocol to carbon-pricing plans, have been predicated on rational-choice models. Behavioral economics may alter conceptions of the best policy mix of market mechanisms, command-and-control, and public research and development.
We’re interested in starting a conversation about this topic, with the hope that it might generate interest in future research and policy projects as well as helping to stimulate campus-wide discussions about environmental policy.
To start us off, we’re inviting you all to a lunchtime discussion on Tuesday, May 6, from noon to 1:30 in Thompson 412 (CPPA’s Mainzer Room). We have identified three readings to help us start the discussion, and we’ll send them to you if you’re interested. (We didn’t want to fill up your mailboxes.)
Amir On, et al. “Psychology, Behavioral Economics, and Public Policy”
John M. Gowdy, “Behavioral Economics and Climate Change Policy”
George A. Akerlof, “Behavioral Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Behavior”
If you have colleagues or advanced grad students who are likely to be interested in this, please feel free to forward this invitation to them.
If you would like to come, please RSVP to lbadgett@pubpol.umass.edu by May 1. If you can’t come but want to stay informed about what develops, let us know that, too.
We hope you’ll join us to start this conversation!
Yours,
Michael Ash and Lee Badgett
—
M. V. Lee Badgett
Director, Center for Public Policy & Administration
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Thompson Hall
Amherst, MA 01003
(v) 413-545-3162
(c) 310-904-9761
lbadgett@pubpol.umass.edu
