Power and Narratives in the Era of Behavioral Government

Ortiz de Landázuri, Manuel C. and Cid Moreno, Alejandro (2026) Power and Narratives in the Era of Behavioral Government. INSTITUTIONES ADMINISTRATIONIS - JOURNAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES, 6 (1). pp. 105-119. ISSN 2786-1929

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Abstract

Behavioral government employs tools like nudges to steer behavior toward certain practices, raising ethical concerns if the underlying narratives are not transparent or inclusive. In this context, it has been debated whether these types of policies are a source of manipulation or rather are practices inherent to a libertarian paternalism. This article attempts to answer this question from an analysis of power. In contrast to theorizations of power in terms of force or pure domination, it is possible to establish a theoretical framework that understands power in an inclusive manner, as a capacity for order, and from there establish a rational framework for evaluating the narratives implicit in this type of policies. We propose that, within a framework of dialogue and shared values, power need not be coercive to be effective. The discussion concludes that narratives, when aligned with the common good and grounded in clear reasoning, legitimize behavioral government as an ethical and collaborative approach to addressing contemporary social challenges.

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