nep-nud New Economics Papers
on Nudge and Boosting
Issue of 2023‒11‒20
two papers chosen by



  1. The E-Word - On the Public Acceptance of Experiments By Mira Fischer; Elisabeth Grewenig; Philipp Lergetporer; Katharina Werner; Helen Zeidler
  2. Public disclosure and tax compliance: evidence from Uganda By Priya Manwaring; Tanner Regan

  1. By: Mira Fischer; Elisabeth Grewenig; Philipp Lergetporer; Katharina Werner; Helen Zeidler
    Abstract: Randomized experiments are often viewed as the “gold standard” of scientific evidence, but people’s scepticism towards experiments has compromised their viability in the past. We study preferences for experimental policy evaluations in a representative survey in Germany (N>1, 900). We find that a majority of 75% supports the idea of small-scale evaluations of policies before enacting them at a large scale. Experimentally varying whether the evaluations are explicitly described as “experiments” has a precisely estimated overall zero effect on public support. Our results indicate political leeway for experimental policy evaluation, a practice that is still uncommon in Germany.
    Keywords: experiment aversion, policy experimentation, education
    JEL: I28 H40 C93
    Date: 2023
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10707&r=nud
  2. By: Priya Manwaring; Tanner Regan
    Abstract: Public disclosure policies have potential to raise tax compliance where alternative enforcement capacity is limited. We study the effects of reporting delinquents and recognizing compliers and provide evidence on the social determinants of tax compliance. Our results are consistent with a model in which being publicly known as tax-eligible is costly but social sanctions for delinquency are limited. Further, disseminating information on tax behavior reduces the compliance of recipients by causing their beliefs to be updated down toward the true compliance rate. Overall, these policies are limited at raising revenue and less effective than simple enforcement reminder nudges.
    Keywords: property tax, tax morale, public disclosure, shaming
    Date: 2023–07–21
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1937&r=nud

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