机制设计是经济学的分支。 其核心是为达到特定的目的而设计赛局规则。 为达到此目的，设计者设定特定的规则结构，使得规则执行者自然而然的按照赛局规则操作。如此，赛局结构被认为达到设计目的。 赛局结果的质量取决于赛局规则与结果的相关度。近年来机制设计理论有很多重要的应用领域，包括电子市场、分散调度问题等等。

2007年，里奥尼德·赫维克兹、埃里克·马斯金和 罗杰·梅尔森「因奠定机制设计理论基础」而获得诺贝尔经济学奖。

Mechanism design is a field in economics and game theory that takes an engineering approach to designing economic mechanisms or incentives, toward desired objectives, in strategic settings, where players act rationally. Because it starts at the end of the game, then goes backwards, it is also called reverse game theory. It has broad applications, from economics and politics (markets, auctions, voting procedures) to networked-systems (internet interdomain routing, sponsored search auctions).