May 9, 2008

When Nudge Comes to Shove

By EVAN R. GOLDSTEIN

Skeptics criticize libertarian paternalism

Cass R. Sunstein and Richard H. Thaler present "libertarian paternalism" as a benign creed, an overdue introduction of cutting-edge behavioral and social science into the realm of policy making. They insist that giving people a psychological nudge to make socially desirable decisions is a "relatively weak, soft, and nonintrusive type of paternalism because choices are not blocked, fenced off, or significantly burdened." And they carefully

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