Behavioural research and corruption: A new promise for governments?

This essay explores the link between corruption and behavioural economics. The findings of behavioural economics may widen the analysis of corruption and improve strategies to face it. The first part describes bounded rationality theory, according to which human cognitive capacities are not infinite and individuals are affected by behavioural biases and heuristics. The second part focuses on specific biases, limitations and motivations-such as misperception of risks, context, trust, moral sentiments and others-that can influence criminal behaviour. The third section illustrates how these new behaviourally informed regulatory approaches can be integrated into the regulatory State. Finally, the essay attempts to provide some suggestions for regulators, including some positive and negative points about the behavioural approach.