Samenvatting

This theme issue analyzes and describes the different ways in which behavioral science is currently becoming integrated in public administration as a practice as well as an academic discipline. Many governments and public organizations are currently experimenting with ways to integrate behavioral insights in public policy and public administration. This theme issue addresses the state of the art and the most salient research issues. It does so by explicitly drawing on insights from scholars from both behavioral sciences as well as from public administration. We survey the major theoretical approaches from both fields, investigate up close and personal how real world policy makers are trying to integrate behavioral knowledge in their structures, routines and policies, and we look at some examples of the most promising behaviorally informed policies. The theme issue confirms and documents the sudden rise of behaviorally informed policy making. By doing so, the theme issue allays some of the concerns voiced in the literature. But the theme issues also draws attention to some new critical questions and debates.