Behavioral Public Administration: Development, Scope, and Challenges

Abstract

This paper presents the development of behavioral public administration as an increasingly influential interdisciplinary approach within the field of public administration. Behavioral public administration connects insights from psychology and related disciplines with public administration research to better understand the behavior of public officials and citizens in administrative processes. The paper analyzes the key concepts and methodological approaches that characterize this field, with particular emphasis on the use of experimental methods and behaviorally informed interventions such as nudges. Through four thematic areas – transparency, bureaucratism, representative bureaucracy, and participation – the paper explores how the behavioral perspective complements and transforms classical theoretical frameworks. A separate section is devoted to a critical analysis of open questions and challenges within the discipline, including issues of the normative justification of behavioral interventions, the limitations of experiments as a core method, the restricted institutional application of research findings, and questions concerning the originality and authenticity of behavioral concepts. In conclusion, the paper emphasizes the need for balanced development that integrates both theoretical reflection and empirical elaboration, and highlights the potential for further advancement of this approach within the science of public administration.