Behavioral economics and public policies

The iktisadi insan approach, one of the basic assumptions of neoclassical economics, argues that the individual is absolutely rational, selfish and self-interested in his decisions. Behavioral economics, which emerged from the combination of economics and psychology, argues that the individual cannot be absolutely rational and that the individual can make decisions with limited rationality in the decision-making process. According to behavioral economics, the individual is psychologically affected by many factors in the decision-making process, and therefore the individual makes decisions with limited rationality by resorting to cognitive shortcuts in the decision-making process. The psychological aspect of the decision-making process is of increasing importance in the design of today's public policies. According to the general assumption of behavioral economics, individuals think intuitively in the decision-making process and may make non-rational decisions in some situations by using cognitive shortcuts. This perspective brought by behavioral economics has enabled public policies to be designed from the perspective of behavioral economics. Especially with behavioral nudge policies, individuals can be persuaded to make the targeted decision without coercion. Therefore, many decisions we make today, thinking that they are ours, may not actually be our decisions. This thesis study aims to raise awareness so that behavioral public policies, which are frequently applied in many countries, can be applied in many areas in our country. Keywords: Homoeconomicus, behavioral economics, nudge, public policies