CORE077 Behavioural public policy

Faculty of Economics and Administration
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Ing. Miloš Fišar, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. Mgr. Jiří Špalek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. Mgr. Jiří Špalek, Ph.D.
Department of Public Economics – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Contact Person: Jana Biskupová
Supplier department: Department of Public Economics – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Prerequisites (in Czech)
!FAKULTA(ESF)&& !TYP_STUDIA(ND) && (!FORMA(C) || !FORMA(K) || !FORMA(D) || !FORMA(R) || !FORMA(Z))
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 24 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/24, only registered: 16/24, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/24
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce the dynamically developing field of behavioural public policy and to show with concrete examples how traditional concepts are gradually transformed into evidence-based policy settings.

i) Introduction to behavioural economics and its application in public policy. This course provides a basic understanding of behavioural economics and how its principles can be applied to public policy.
(ii) An examination of decision-making processes. Students are introduced to a variety of tools and techniques that help understand how people make decisions, particularly in the context of public policy.
iii) Introduction to key behavioural concepts. The course covers important concepts such as heuristics, biases, decision making under conditions of (un)certainty, risk and loss aversion, sunk costs and the importance of cognitive processes.
iv) Concrete applications of behavioral economics findings to public policy. The aim is to show how the theoretical insights of behavioural economics can be practically used in the formulation and implementation of public policies.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
  • Apply the principles of behavioral economics in the context of public policy.
  • Recognize and analyze decision-making processes.
  • Discuss behavioral aspects of public policy.
    • Syllabus
    • The role of the state in the modern economy
    • Types and instruments of public policies
    • Introduction to Behavioral Economics
    • Behavioral factors affecting human decision-making
    • Behavioral Public Policy
    • Behavioral Public Policy and Discrimination
    • Behavioral Public Policy and Health
    • Behavioral Public Policy and the Environment
    • Behavioral Public Policy and Public Finance
    • Behavioral Public Policy and Education
    • Behavioral Public Policy and Consumer Behavior
    Teaching methods
    lectures, class discussion, reading, essay
    Assessment methods
    The subject ends with a colloquium.
    Course Completion Requirements:
  • participation in educational experiments;
  • submission of the final essay (own topic from the field of behavioral public choice or behavioral/experimental economics) and its discussion at the colloquium.
    • Language of instruction
    Czech
    Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
    The course is taught annually.
    The course is taught: every week.
    General note: Předmět bude vyučován v případě zápisu 10 a více studentů.
    Information on course enrolment limitations: Předmět bude vyučován v případě zápisu 10 a více studentů.
    The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2024.
    • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/econ/spring2025/CORE077