THERE wasn’t a lot of fanfare, but last week may turn out to be among the most consequential of President Obama’s second term. By executive order, Mr. Obama directed federal agencies to incorporate behavioral science — insights into how people actually make decisions — into their programs.

When government programs fail, it is often because public officials are clueless about how human beings think and act. Federal, state and local governments make it far too hard for small businesses, developers, farmers, veterans and poor people to get permits, licenses, training and economic assistance.

It’s one thing to make financial aid available to students, so they can attend college. It’s another thing to design forms that students can actually fill out.

Building on impressive new findings from the White House’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Team, Mr. Obama ordered his government to use behavioral insights to simplify forms, cut wait times, eliminate administrative hurdles and reduce regulatory burdens. A new report from the team, which has been up and running for more than a year, shows that small reforms can make a big difference.