Why Nudge?: The Politics of Libertarian Paternalism
Cass R. Sunstein - Yale University Press, 2014
Based on a series of pathbreaking lectures
given at Yale University in 2012, this powerful, thought-provoking work by
national best-selling author Cass R. Sunstein combines legal theory with
behavioral economics to make a fresh argument about the legitimate scope of
government, bearing on obesity, smoking, distracted driving, health care, food
safety, and other highly volatile, high-profile public issues. Behavioral
economists have established that people often make decisions that run counter to
their best interests—producing what Sunstein describes as “behavioral market
failures.” Sometimes we disregard the long term; sometimes we are
unrealistically optimistic; sometimes we do not see what is in front of us. With
this evidence in mind, Sunstein argues for a new form of paternalism, one that
protects people against serious errors but also recognizes the risk of
government overreaching and usually preserves freedom of choice.
Against
those who reject paternalism of any kind, Sunstein shows that “choice
architecture”—government-imposed structures that affect our choices—is
inevitable, and hence that a form of paternalism cannot be avoided. He urges
that there are profoundly moral reasons to ensure that choice architecture is
helpful rather than harmful—and that it makes people’s lives better and longer
