Reciprocity and the Art of Behavioural Public Policy By Adam Oliver. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2019, 208 pp.

Abstract

Neither selfish nor selfless, but we are, in fact, reciprocal!From religion to public policy, reciprocity has constantly been a fundamental social norm within human societies, rooted in the evolution of the animal kingdom, including humankind.Adam Oliver's book is a novel combination of reciprocity and public policy.Oliver's book attempts to utilise the rich body of literature on reciprocity to inform public policy and to design appropriate interventions within the public environment.The book makes an effort to present a novel approach that questions the dubious choice between human beings' pure altruistic or selfish, egoistic intentions.He provides insight into 'giving-and-taking-based generalisations' of human behaviour.Oliver examines the development of reciprocity and its various types and drivers by referencing several academic fields.The book uses examples from various experiments and games on which economists and psychologists have recently worked together to recognise reciprocity as a heavily contextualised concept.Despite being a powerful driver of human behaviour, reciprocity has strangely been somewhat overlooked in behavioural public policy design.Such disregard may be due to the common dichotomisation of pure altruism vs selfishness and the maximisation of one's payoffs.'Don't be an egoist; be a reciprocator!' (p.177) is Oliver's concluding statement.It is also the cornerstone of the book's principal proposal.Reciprocity, as a fundamental social norm, has intrigued human societies since time immemorial.'Reciprocity and the Art of Behavioural Public Policy' presents a fresh perspective by combining reciprocity with the realm of public policy.The book explores the rich literature on reciprocity and its potential applications in designing effective interventions within the public sphere.Oliver makes a compelling case for recognising the central role of reciprocity and harnessing it to inform public policy.He draws from diverse fields like anthropology, psychology and economics to demonstrate that reciprocity largely drives human behaviour rather than pure selfishness or altruism.This perspective provides a refreshing counterpoint to the view of humans as purely self-interested rational actors.