Can nudging create the Big Society? Experiments in civic behaviour and implications for the voluntary and public sectors

Abstract

One of the mechanisms through which the United Kingdom government is seeking to achieve its Big Society agenda is through nudge-style interventions. This article summarises research findings from nudge experiments, which aimed to increase civic participation, and discusses implications for the voluntary and public sectors. Nudging has modest impacts for short-term behaviour shifts, but the carrier of the nudge message may influence citizen responsiveness, demanding novel and joint approaches by voluntary and public sector organisations.