Adam Oliver, “Nudging, Shoving, and Budging: Behavioural Economic-Informed Policy.” Public Administration, 2015; doi: 10.1111/padm.12165.
• There is no accepted definition of libertarian paternalism or nudges. As a result, many policies are described to be behavioral despite having little claim to that moniker. You should worry about being pro-nudge, because the nudgers might go way beyond what you think you are signing up for.
• Oliver claims nudges should present “no” burden on the rationals while attempting to correct an internality.
• Loss aversion is not something you choose, but something you are, like a White Sox fan [Okay, the White Sox are not actually mentioned in the article.]
• Libertarian paternalism concerns internalities, respects liberty, and employs behavioral means. The British Behavioural Insights Team goes beyond nudging: sometimes it addresses externalities, as with organ donation. Having teenagers mentor toddlers to reduce teen pregnancy is not an obvious behavioural policy, nor is the provision of information about the drinking habits of one’s peers.
• Straight out paternalism, without the libertarian adjective, is a “shove”; smoking bans are shoves.
• A “budge” is a behaviorally informed regulatory intervention, designed to counter the misleading nonsense thrown up by profit-seeking corporations, like the payments made by candy makers to grocery stores for check-out line product placement.
• Maybe it is the opportunity to choose, and not the utility derived from the choices, that is the real measure of welfare.
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