Joan Costa-Font

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Devolution of the NHS is an opportunity to reduce inequalities

Devolution of the NHS is an opportunity to reduce inequalities

The government recently announced the devolution of health spending to the Greater Manchester region. But is the decentralisation of health services desirable? Joan Costa-Font examines this question, finding that it is possible to improve regional healthcare equity without a significant additional cost to the public purse. However, there needs to be political accountability for decentralisation mechanisms to work, which in the Manchester […]

March 2nd, 2015|Featured, Joan Costa-Font, Public Services and the Welfare State|0 Comments|

The ‘nudge’ agenda is at the forefront of contemporary economic debate for good reason, but it is not yet clear that it can be applied in straightforward way in all circumstances

Behavioural economists from LSE and elsewhere have recently examined the ‘nudge’ research agenda and its limits in a special journal issue. Here, Joan Costa-Font, David Just, Barbara Fasolo and Nick Powdthavee, argue that, although appealing and policy relevant, more research is required. Behavioural economics has passed the stage of having to convince other economists of its value. Today, it is a […]

February 28th, 2014|Barbara Fasolo, Behavioural Public Policy, David Just, Joan Costa-Font, Nattavudh Powdthavee|0 Comments|

Given that obesity produces significant social costs, public health authorities need to be far more pro-active in designing interventions

There is an escalating obesity problem in the UK. Joan Costa-Font argues that obesity is an example of market failure and that policy should focus on changing social rewards to unhealthy food consumption and tackling the prevailing social norms with regards to sedentary behavior at home and the workplace. Obesity in Europe has reached epidemic proportions. The prevalence of overweight […]

February 5th, 2014|Joan Costa-Font|1 Comment|

Non-monetary rewards could be used to incentivise blood donation

Joan Costa-Font, Mireia Jofre-Bonet and Steven T Yen present research into incentivising blood donation. Classic research has found that monetary incentives to blood donors may crowd out blood supply as purely altruistic donors may feel less inclined to donate if a reward is involved. However it is argued that there would be no supply displacement of altruistic donors if non-monetary rewards were […]

August 13th, 2012|Joan Costa-Font, Mireia Jofre-Bonet, Steven Yen|0 Comments|

The centralisation of education funding and the new health reforms are inconsistent with localism and accountable government

The coalition government’s battery of new localism reforms are thought to be aligned with a preference for decentralisation amongst the general public. But as Joan Costa Font argues, arrangements for health and education funding point towards greater centralisation and less local accountability. A recent Eurobarometer survey (2010) suggests that a large majority of people in Europe believe that intermediate or regional levels of […]

April 9th, 2012|Joan Costa-Font, Public Services and the Welfare State|2 Comments|

Government intervention would be justified to prevent a potential epidemic of food disorders

Joan Costa-Font and Mireia Jofre-Bonet argue that distorted perceptions of self-image influence health-related behaviours. Through their empirical research, they find that social pressure is a determinant of eating disorders and policy should compensate against damaging peer-effects and counter the spread of this epidemic. Policy interventions to curb the parallel epidemics of excessive preoccupation with self-image and food disorders, such as […]

March 8th, 2012|Joan Costa-Font, Mireia Jofre-Bonet, Public Services and the Welfare State|0 Comments|

A better understanding of the behavioural constraints that people face will help policy makers to more effectively target public policy interventions that aim to change their actions.

Government interventions often have very different outcomes to those desired by policy makers. Joan Costa Font argues that the development of behavioural economics offers a means to more thoroughly examine the behavioural constraints faced by those who are targeted by specific policies. Behavioural economics is not only better equipped to account for failures but if applied to public policy, it […]

February 2nd, 2012|Behavioural Public Policy, Joan Costa-Font|0 Comments|

Does devolution bring welfare improvements? Evidence from Spain shows that giving Scotland and Wales the power to set speed limits might save lives across the UK

Does devolution bring welfare improvements? Joan Costa Font argues that evidence from the devolution of traffic responsibilities to the Basque Country and Catalonia by the Spanish government, suggests that decentralisation has managed to significantly reduce traffic accident deaths. Such a change in the UK, where lower speed limits and safety regulations have not yet garnered a great deal of support, […]

January 12th, 2012|Central government and core executive functions, Joan Costa-Font|0 Comments|