In this lecture, Konstantinos Katsikopoulos presents the concept of bounded rationality and contrasts two - as he calls it - cultures of research and analysis within Behavioral Economics: an "idealistic" and a "pragmatic" approach. Thereby, Katsikopoulos discusses amongst others their different assumptions on decision making (utility optimization vs. achievement of a satisfactory outcome), the psychological process as well as the epistemic aim and implications on policy recommendations (nudging vs. education).

This Forum in the Boston Review deals with the role of economics in modern policymaking and presents a wide set of perspectives on the topic. The opening text by Suresh Naidu, Dani Rodrik and Gabriel Zucman aims to answer a range of common criticisms against the modern, neoclassical science of economics and its influence on public discussions.

VWL-Standardmodelle gehen davon aus, dass Individuen gegebene und stabile Präferenzen haben, nach denen sie ihren Nutzen maximieren. Doch was passiert, wenn sich diese Präferenzen aus anderen Gründen ändern – und wäre es verwerflich, sie gezielt durch Politikmaßnahmen zu beeinflussen? Ein Beitrag von Linus Mattauch und Anna Wiese.