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Interacting with Public Services

  • 05-08-2015 9:55am
    #1
    5dolla12
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭


    Given the push for "nudges" and simplification in the UK, what is one public service in Ireland you would like to see simplified/altered?

    For example, including social norm messaging on tax letters? Or perhaps simplifying application forms for social welfare? The more specific the better!

    *Full Disclosure: I'm looking into this for my thesis and wanted to get some ideas.

    ** Can't link to the guardian article I wanted to include due to being a new user.


Comments

  • #2
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    I'd like to see the hse divest non healthcare related stuff - do they really need to be bothered with wedding seats having a cover?
    Or being a pseudo social welfare dept?
    Or deciding how much you pay for a FOI appeal?


  • #3
    andrew
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,368 Mod ✭✭✭✭andrew


    5dolla12 wrote: »
    For example, including social norm messaging on tax letters? Or perhaps simplifying application forms for social welfare? The more specific the better!
    .

    I was at a presentation on this recently, given in part by a guy from revenue. As it turns out, revenue already do this; they have a handful of people doing randomised controlled tests where they slightly modify tax letters etc and see how that might improve compliance.

    The revenue and tax compliance stuff seems neat. But with this stuff I think there's a lot of potential to 'nudge' people in normative ways and subtly impose values on people, which would be bad.


  • #4
    5dolla12
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭5dolla12


    Yes, Revenue's work is quite interesting and has actually shown to be quite effective.

    While there is some merit in the idea that nudging "may impose values on people which would be bad". This argument, in my opinion, has more to do with how nudges are carried out, rather than as simply being a characteristic of such interventions inherently.

    Cass Sunstein has written a significant amount dispelling this argument. Basically, some form of "choice architecture" must exist when government interacts with the public, so why not design that in a way which produces optimal results? For example, we have to send tax reminders to collect tax, so why not design them in such a way which increases compliance?

    I think the important thing here would be to be transparent in any nudges you carry out. Sunstein has also done work showing that nudges are still effective if you disclose their existence.

    I would link to this research and the more detailed arguments but I can't as I am still a "new user" for now.

    I would be interested to hear any other thoughts you have on this though or further opinions you have on the possible negative side of "nudges" and behaviour change interventions.


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