Nudging citizens co-production: Assessing multiple behavioral strategies

Abstract

The concept of nudge has been prevalent in studies that explore behavioral changes for better individual decision-making. While nudging has been applied to study public policy, a puzzling under-explored issue in this context is coproduction. In this study, I build on the rich literature on nudging theory and conduct an empirical assessment that compares different strategies intended to increase public willingness to engage in coproduction. In public administration, the concept of coproduction refers to citizens’ willingness to contribute to policies that improve their lives. Therefore, a nudging approach offers multiple benefits in employing strategies that do not compel but can motivate greater citizen participation. My approach focuses on comparing common nudging strategies in two unique coproduction areas: natural hazards resilience and public health, and identifying the most efficient ways to increase citizens’ willingness to contribute to proposed policies. The results suggest that nudging strategies are a useful tool for increasing hazard resilience coproduction, while they backfire for organ donations and reduce the willingness to participate. Also, norm-nudge and loss aversion are more powerful strategies in increasing intention to join compared to a default strategy. Lastly, I provide evidence showing relative consistency between respondents’ stated intention and actual coproduction behavior in both policy areas. These findings provide valuable insights to policymakers in designing effective tools to encourage greater public engagement with policy. It also offers theoretical contributions to research on coproduction and how to more directly integrate behavioral theories into public administration studies and investigate individuals’ attitudes towards participation in policy solutions.