Empathetic Policy Design: Emotional Engagement, Inclusive Space, and Empowered Deliberation (2025)

This book sets out to develop a policy design process that is more inclusive by creating space for emotions and feelings. Rather than focus solely on expert knowledge, it places the fears and hopes of citizens at the heart of policy design, to facilitate meaningful interactions between policymakers and the citizens they serve. Focusing particularly on evidence from Thailand, but drawing on case studies from around the world, the book argues that empathetic policy design is crucial to foster social learning and better-informed policies. It also focuses on how emotions can be incorporated into policy design, and how policymakers of the future might use these design processes to create and implement policies that will benefit all. The book will appeal to all those interested in public policy and policy design.