From policy initiative to initial formation: A study on the "nudge" mechanism for the combined supply of natural resource assets: Evidence from the first "asset package" transaction in Jiujiang city, Jiangxi province

The combined supply of natural resource assets is an important pathway and policy innovation for exercising the ownership responsibilities of resources held in common by all citizens and for achieving their value preservation and appreciation. Using the first "asset package" transaction in Jiujiang city, Jiangxi province as a case study, this research builds an analytical framework based on nudge theory. It analyzes how different actors applied nudging mechanisms to promote the combined supply policy from its initial conception to gradual refinement. The findings indicate two main points. Firstly, combined supply enables the synergy of multiple resource rights and functions, achieving cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and sustainability in resource use. Secondly, throughout the policy's evolution, its promoters adopted several nudging tools, including motivation, trade-off clarification, default options, feedback mechanisms, error prediction, and structural simplification, to guide stakeholders through the participatory process. In the policy conception stage, the central and provincial governments explored feasible pathways for realizing the value of state-owned natural resources. They used institutional incentives and information resources to encourage the municipal government to innovate policy design. In the implementation stage, the municipal government optimized the configuration of asset-package rights to align with market demand and simplified transaction procedures to facilitate enterprise participation. In the improvement stage, positive feedback from the upper-level governments strengthened property-rights protection and post-supply supervision mechanisms. Meanwhile, the municipal government adjusted the distribution of benefits and responsibilities through a benefit-sharing mechanism, thereby motivating county-level governments to enhance their oversight. As a result, the combined supply system reached an initial stage of institutional improvement. This study extends the application of nudge theory to the domain of natural resource management. By doing so, it uncovers the behavioral logic and internal mechanisms of combined supply practices, thereby informing the design and refinement of related policy frameworks.