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‘Individual Failure’ and the Analytics of Social Policy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2000

Philip Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Economics & International Development, University of Bath, UK
John Cullis
Affiliation:
Department of Economics & International Development, University of Bath, UK

Abstract

Social policy appraisal depends on assumptions that are made about individual motivation and individual behaviour. In recent years greater weight has been given to behavioural characteristics which are typical of homo-economicus. At the same time, a growing body of evidence from experimental economics and from cognitive psychology identifies a ‘richer’ characterisation of individual behaviour. Allowance must be made for ‘individual failure’ and for preference endogeneity when designing and implementing social policy. A ‘broader’ agenda is required when evaluating social policies. When designing social policy greater emphasis must be placed on the ‘demonstration effect’.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2000

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Footnotes

The authors are members of the Centre for Fiscal Studies at Bath University and would like to acknowledge the very helpful comments of two anonymous referees. Should errors remain, they are, of course, the sole property of the authors.