Research

... Government

How can we use behavioral science to bring innovation into government?

Fresh Start Effect in New Movers A Pilot to Reduce SOV Trips

In 2020, the Center for Advanced Hindsight (CAH) at Duke University was awarded a grant from the Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG) to research an innovative way to reduce single occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips among individuals that had recently moved (or new movers) to three areas within North Carolina. We aimed to understand the behavioral principle of the “fresh start effect”, which posits that humans are more likely to change behavior at moments that stand out in time, and if this could be applied to transportation habits.

Read the Report

Growing cities are often accompanied by economic, environmental, and social challenges. Public agencies must be creative, adaptable, and responsive to meet citizens’ needs. Across the globe, governments are seeking novel approaches to solving problems. We generate equitable policies and solutions to solve real world problems by innovating and evaluating with behavioral science and design.

Our Process

We partner with employers, community organizations, and other groups looking to test creative policy solutions. We aim to design and run randomized controlled trials and rigorously measure our impact. We analyze outcome data and report the results in academic journals and popular press pieces so that solutions might be scaled to other municipal, state, and central governments. Interested partners are encouraged to reach out to us to discuss potential collaboration and requirements for specific interventions.

Partnership Opportunities

Are you a local, state, or federal policymaker or someone with a passion for making your community better? Do you have a complex problem you think could be solved with behavioral science and innovation?

Join the CAH Government team mailing list and learn about collaboration opportunities!

We respect your time and privacy. We will only alert you to relevant opportunities to work with us and your contact information will not be shared.

Join the mailing list

FOCUS AREAS

Click the images below to explore case studies related to each focus area.

Banana peels and pizza crusts: City pilot program turns food scraps into compost

A city food waste collection program in the Walltown neighborhood has redirected…

Authors

RideAmigos Launches AI-powered Personal Commute Assistant App

By understanding each commuter's unique needs and preferences, the Pave Commute app…

Authors

Behavioral Science in Practice: Helping Local Government Navigate COVID-19 through Multidisciplinary Collaboration

In this report, we discuss our six-month project to help North Carolina…

Authors

Way to Go Durham

This case study covers the formative research and pilot testing of the…

Authors

North Carolina Leverages State Research Capacity to Improve Government Performance

For example, behavioral science experts from the Center for Advanced Hindsight at…

Authors

How can women advance their public service careers?

The landscape for women in public office leadership positions has shifted dramatically…

FTA Awards $14M in Grants for 25 ‘Innovative Mobility’ Projects

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently announced that 25 projects in 24…

Authors

L.A. Metro receives FTA grant to develop a pilot travel rewards program

L.A. Metro is partnering with the Harvard School of Business, the Duke…

Authors

Los Angeles Metro Awarded Federal Grant to Develop Travel Rewards Program

The Federal Transit Administration announced Thursday that it awarded $700,000 to the…

Authors

Governo federal define novas regras para o teletrabalho

Ogoverno federal deu mais um passo para modernizar a gestão de pessoas…

Authors

Behavioral TDM

The transportation sector is responsible for a quarter of emissions stemming from…

Durham wins $1 million in Bloomberg’s U.S. mayors challenge

The city of Durham will receive $1 million after it won a…

Authors

How Durham is using user-testing to design a compost system that works

In the city of Durham, North Carolina, roughly 30% of the garbage…

Authors

How Durham, NC’s mayor uses effective behavioral economics

The mayor of Durham, NC isn't afraid to get dirty — literally.…

Authors

Garbage in, insights out: What every city can learn from Durham’s composting prototype

Tenita Poole had never separated her kitchen food waste for composting before.…

Authors

Mayors Challenge: Meet the people driving 9 innovative projects forward

Innovation doesn’t happen by accident. Behind every bold idea and pathbreaking program…

Authors

The best of behavioural science in UK Government: moving from micro to macro

Since BIT’s pioneering work after 2010, dozens of Government bodies have set…

The Threat of Climate Change Has Made Composting More Popular Than Ever. But the Industry Is Surprisingly Precarious.

Thirty years ago, this thirty-acre patch of dirt in southwestern Chatham County…

Authors

Alum Steve Schewel announces he will seek 2nd term as Durham mayor

To decide on a specific solution, the city is collaborating with Duke’s…

Authors

Explainer: What is a behavioral ‘nudge’?

Suddenly, it seems, everyone in the public sector is “nudging.” The strategy…

Authors

A Greener Commute: One City’s Story

What motivates commuters to leave their cars behind, and take the bus…

Authors

Can Durham curb car usage? With $1 million and help from a Duke center, Mayor Steve Schewel thinks so

Durham and Mayor Steve Schewel want you to ditch your car, and…

Authors

Durham’s Plan to ‘Nudge’ Drivers Out of Cars

There are 19,000 parking spots in downtown Durham, North Carolina, and an…

Authors

Durham Reports Successful Pilot Results to Reduce Downtown Traffic Congestion

DURHAM, N.C. – Can a mid-sized city – where cars are still…

Authors

Durham’s Plan to ‘Nudge’ Drivers Out of Cars

Behavioral science strategies like offering prizes are getting people into public transit.…

Authors

WHO WE ARE

Want to join us?

SEE OPEN POSITIONS SPONSOR OUR RESEARCH

Joseph Sherlock

PRINCIPAL, GOVERNMENT

Shaye-Ann Hopkins

BEHAVIORAL RESEARCHER