“Nudgistic”: Grounding the concept of nudging in the Philippine local policymaking scene

https://doi.org/10.70228/JHER2025039

Cite this article Read this article

ABSTRACT

This study aims to identify how behavioral nudges are embedded in local ordinances, assess their performance in terms of behavioral impact and ethical acceptability, and determine which policy domains demonstrate the highest effectiveness. It employed a mixed-method sequential exploratory design, focusing on two Cavite LGUs: Trece Martires City (TMC) and General Mariano Alvarez (GMA). The methodology began with a qualitative document analysis of 20 local ordinances using NVivo software to identify and classify nudge elements. These steps were followed by a quantitative survey of 240 residents, which measured Behavioral Impact Scores (BIS) and Ethical Acceptability Indices (EAI) to evaluate the performance of the identified nudges. Findings reveal that nudging is organically pervasive in local policymaking, with 1,369 nudge elements identified across ordinances. However, their performance is not universal but is critically shaped by local microclimates. GMA's hyper-dense context created a "pressure-cooker" model where health and political nudges were most effective, leveraging crisis legitimacy and social enforcement. In contrast, TMC, as a provincial capital, exhibited "administrative equilibrium," with environmental nudges performing best within its bureaucratic framework. Finally, the study argues that a nudge's success depends on its fit with the unique spatial, social, and institutional layers of an LGU, necessitating a shift from standardized application to contextual diagnosis for potentially more effective behavioral governance in the Philippines.

Keywords: Nudging, Local Policymaking, Governance, Local Government, Ordinance