Carlos Scartascini
Trust is the most pressing and yet least discussed problem confronting Latin America and the Caribbean. Whether in others, in government, or in firms, trust is lower in the region than anywhere else in the world. The economic and political consequences of mistrust ripple through society. It suppresses growth and innovation: investment, entrepreneurship, and employment all flourish when firms and government, workers and employers, banks and borrowers, and consumers and producers trust each other. Trust inside private and public sector organizations is essential for collaboration and innovation. Mistrust distorts democratic decision-making. It keeps citizens from demanding better public services and infrastructure, from joining with others to control corruption, and from making the collective sacrifices that leave everyone better off. The good news is that governments can increase citizen trust with clearer promises of what citizens can expect from them, public sector reforms that enable them to keep their promises, and institutional reforms that strengthen the commitments that citizens make to each other. This book guides decision-makers as they incorporate trust and social cohesion into the comprehensive reforms needed to address the region’s most pernicious challenges.
Carlos Scartascini is Head of the Development Research Group at the Research Department and Leader of the Behavioral Economics Group of the Inter-American Development Bank. He has published eight books and more than 60 articles in academic journals and edited volumes. He is a member of the Executive Committee of IDB's Gender and Diversity Lab, member of the Scientific Committee of Elcano Royal Institute, member of the Board of Advisors of the Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, Associate Editor of the academic journal Economía, and Founding Member of LACEA's BRAIN (Behavioral Insights Network). A native of Argentina, Dr. Scartascini holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Economics from George Mason University.
The information and opinions presented in this website are entirely those of the author, and no endorsement by the Inter-American Development Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the countries they represent is expressed or implied.
Highlights
Video del lanzamiento del libro el 13 de Enero de 2022
A Conversation with the President of the IDB
(in Spanish)
¿De qué forma la psicología y la economía del comportamiento pueden mejorar las decisiones que tomamos en áreas como salud, ahorros e inversión en infraestructura? En esta charla junto a Luis Alberto Moreno, Presidente del BID, conversamos sobre cómo las intervenciones de la economía del comportamiento pueden mejorar las políticas y el bienestar ciudadano en América Latina y el Caribe.
El coronavirus y la información: ¿Cuándo es esencial y cuándo podría generar conflictos? (CNN interview)
De la misma forma que los virus se expanden en sociedades abiertas e interconectadas como la nuestra, la información que se comparte crece exponencialmente. Esta herramienta imprescindible es clave para erradicar el virus, pero si es mal diseminada, podría crear pánico con consecuencias inesperadas. La discusión con Carlos Scartascini, líder del Grupo de Economía del Comportamiento del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo.
Information and citizen behavior- Public policies for better decisions
Citizens are often busy, stressed and they don´t have time or the tools to take the right decisions. That's why the information you provide to them, how clear and concise it is, and how you distribute it can be important in determining how they behave. The IDB has conducted several interventions in which it offered clear information to citizens so they could make better decisions. We are working on environmental issues, providing information on pollution, on issues of citizen safety and the relationship with the police, and on conservation of resources like drinking water. In all cases, we seek to increase confidence in the State and greater demand for public policies with long-term benefits. At the IDB we are committed to continue designing and supporting public policies that improve the lives of Latin Americans.
¿Cómo aprovechar la economía del comportamiento para crear mejores políticas públicas?
Cada vez más formuladores de políticas usan la economía del comportamiento para asegurar el éxito de las políticas públicas, puesto que esta considera cómo las personas se comportan y toman decisiones. Por eso hemos creado el primer curso en línea en español que enseña los principios de la economía del comportamiento.
Participa en nuestro curso y:
Aprenderás cómo la economía del comportamiento se diferencia del modelo económico convencional
Dominarás las herramientas que promueven la toma de mejores decisiones
Conocerás casos reales de intervenciones exitosas en América Latina y otras partes del mundo
Respuestas a tres preguntas claves:
1) Qué son las ciencias del comportamiento?
2) Cómo fomenta el BID su uso en América Latina?
3) Qué proyectos ha llevado el BID en este área?
Carlos Scartascini from the Inter-American Development Bank responds to three questions about behavioral economics:
1) What is behavioral science?
2) How is the IDB harnessing behavioral economics in Latin America?
3) What projects has the IDB done in this field?