Using Behavioral Science Insights To Better Serve the American People

Executive Order 13707 of September 15, 2015

Using Behavioral Science Insights To Better Serve
the American People

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that behavioral
science insights--research findings from fields such as
behavioral economics and psychology about how people
make decisions and act on them--can be used to design
government policies to better serve the American
people.

Where Federal policies have been designed to reflect
behavioral science insights, they have substantially
improved outcomes for the individuals, families,
communities, and businesses those policies serve. For
example, automatic enrollment and automatic escalation
in retirement savings plans have made it easier to save
for the future, and have helped Americans accumulate
billions of dollars in additional retirement savings.
Similarly, streamlining the application process for
Federal financial aid has made college more financially
accessible for millions of students.

To more fully realize the benefits of behavioral
insights and deliver better results at a lower cost for
the American people, the Federal Government should
design its policies and programs to reflect our best
understanding of how people engage with, participate
in, use, and respond to those policies and programs. By
improving the effectiveness and efficiency of
Government, behavioral science insights can support a
range of national priorities, including helping workers
to find better jobs; enabling Americans to lead longer,
healthier lives; improving access to educational
opportunities and support for success in school; and
accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy.

NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in me as
President by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, I hereby direct the following:

Section 1. Behavioral Science Insights Policy
Directive.

    (a) Executive departments and agencies (agencies)
are encouraged to:

(i) identify policies, programs, and operations where applying behavioral
science insights may yield substantial improvements in public welfare,
program outcomes, and program cost effectiveness;

(ii) develop strategies for applying behavioral science insights to
programs and, where possible, rigorously test and evaluate the impact of
these insights;

(iii) recruit behavioral science experts to join the Federal Government as
necessary to achieve the goals of this directive; and

(iv) strengthen agency relationships with the research community to better
use empirical findings from the behavioral sciences.

    (b) In implementing the policy directives in
section (a), agencies shall:

(i) identify opportunities to help qualifying individuals, families,
communities, and businesses access public programs and benefits by, as
appropriate, streamlining processes that may otherwise limit or delay
participation--for example, removing administrative hurdles, shortening
wait times, and simplifying forms;

(ii) improve how information is presented to consumers, borrowers, program
beneficiaries, and other individuals, whether as directly conveyed by the
agency, or in setting standards for the presentation of information, by
considering how the content, format, timing, and medium by which

information is conveyed affects comprehension and action by individuals, as
appropriate;

(iii) identify programs that offer choices and carefully consider how the
presentation and structure of those choices, including the order, number,
and arrangement of options, can most effectively promote public welfare, as
appropriate, giving particular consideration to the selection and setting
of default options; and

(iv) review elements of their policies and programs that are designed to
encourage or make it easier for Americans to take specific actions, such as
saving for retirement or completing education programs. In doing so,
agencies shall consider how the timing, frequency, presentation, and
labeling of benefits, taxes, subsidies, and other incentives can more
effectively and efficiently promote those actions, as appropriate.
Particular attention should be paid to opportunities to use nonfinancial
incentives.

    (c) For policies with a regulatory component,
agencies are encouraged to combine this behavioral
science insights policy directive with their ongoing
review of existing significant regulations to identify
and reduce regulatory burdens, as appropriate and
consistent with Executive Order 13563 of January 18,
2011 (Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review), and
Executive Order 13610 of May 10, 2012 (Identifying and
Reducing Regulatory Burdens).

Sec. 2. Implementation of the Behavioral Science
Insights Policy Directive. (a) The Social and
Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST), under the National
Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and chaired by
the Assistant to the President for Science and
Technology, shall provide agencies with advice and
policy guidance to help them execute the policy
objectives outlined in section 1 of this order, as
appropriate.

    (b) The NSTC shall release a yearly report
summarizing agency implementation of section 1 of this
order each year until 2019. Member agencies of the SBST
are expected to contribute to this report.
    (c) To help execute the policy directive set forth
in section 1 of this order, the Chair of the SBST
shall, within 45 days of the date of this order and
thereafter as necessary, issue guidance to assist
agencies in implementing this order.

Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head
thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
    (c) Independent agencies are strongly encouraged to
comply with the requirements of this order.

    (d) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.

    (Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    September 15, 2015.