Post by dgriffin on Dec 1, 2009 20:49:34 GMT -5
Does it feel like the government is coercing you into doing it their way more and more often? Well, they are. And here's how.
Two of the so-called Global Top 100 Thinkers - taking behavioralism from niche to necessary
What do Two Elite Snobs have in mind for you?
Humans, the two men argue in their book, Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness, tend to be emotional, rash, and uninformed, and value the present more than the future. They're far from the rational creatures upon which so much economic policy is based.
So what's a responsible government to do? Use free market policies that "nudge" citizens toward the smart options they wouldn't otherwise select, such as setting "opting in" as the default choice for retirement funds and organ donation.
"The concept behind libertarian paternalism is that it's possible to maintain freedom of choice -- that's libertarian -- while also moving people in directions that make their own lives a bit better -- that's paternalism. We think it's possible to combine two reviled concepts."
Their big idea -- to use small policy tweaks to overcome human capriciousness -- has turned the field of economics upside down and, most recently, won them an ear at the Obama White House.
COMPLETE ARTICLE AT:
www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/11/30/the_fp_top_100_global_thinkers?page=0,6
Get ready to become a good, predictable little member of the economy. Not to mention, your health care plans and options, driving habits, etc., etc.
