Public support for ‘soft’ versus ‘hard’ public policies: Review of the evidence

This article reviews the literature on public support for ‘soft’ versus ‘hard’ policy instruments behaviour change, and factors that drive such preferences. Soft policies typically include ‘moral suasion’ educational campaigns, more recently behavioural approaches like nudges. Hard instruments, as laws taxes, restrict choices alter financial incentives. In contrast to evidenced hard during COVID-19, prior academic pointed softer instruments. We investigate synthesise evidence when people prefer one type of instrument over another. Drawing multi-disciplinary evidence, we identify perceived effectiveness, trust, personal experience self-interest important determinants preferences, along with broader including choice country context. further various gaps in our understanding informs organise a future research agenda around three themes. Specifically, propose new directions what drives soft policies, highlighting value investigating role individual contextual (especially biases); how preferences evolve time; whether spillovers across different domains.