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This collection challenges the popular but abstract concept of nudging, demonstrating the real-world application of behavioral economics in policy-making and technology. Groundbreaking and practical, it considers the existing political incentives and regulatory institutions that shape the environment in which behavioral policy-making occurs, as well as alternatives to government nudges already provided by the market. The contributions discuss the use of regulations and technology to help consumers overcome their behavioral biases and make better choices, considering the ethical questions of government and market nudges and the uncertainty inherent in designing effective nudges. Four case studies - on weight loss, energy efficiency, consumer finance, and health care - put the discussion of the efficiency of nudges into concrete, recognizable terms. A must-read for researchers studying the public policy applications of behavioral economics, this book will also appeal to practicing lawmakers and regulators.
List of contents
1 Overview of Behavioral Economics and Policy.- 2 The Four Pillars of Behavioral Paternalism.- 3 Failing Better: What We Learn by Confronting Risk and Uncertainty.- 4 Behavioral Nudges and Consumer Technology.- 5 Private-Sector Nudging: The Good, the Bad, and the Uncertain.- 6 Who Should Nudge?.- 7 Weight Loss Nudges: Market Test or Government Guess?.- 8 Nudging in an Evolving Marketplace: How Markets Improve Their Own Choice Architecture.- 9 One Standard to Rule Them All: The Disparate Impact of Energy Efficiency Regulations.- 10 Nudges in Healthcare.
About the author
Sherzod Abdukadirov is Research Fellow in the Regulatory Studies Program at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, USA. He specializes in the federal regulatory process, behavioral economics, and food and health policy.
Contributors
Jodi N. Beggs, Northeastern University, USA
Jessica Carges, George Mason University, USA
Tyler Cowen, George Mason University, USA
Robert Graboyes, George Mason University, USA
Brian F. Mannix, George Washington University, USA
Michael L. Marlow, California Polytechnic State University, USA
Sofie E. Miller, George Washington University, USA
Mario J. Rizzo, New York University, USA
Adam C. Smith, Johnson & Wales University, USA
Adam Thierer, George Mason University, USA
Stephen Wendel, Morningstar, Inc., USA
Mark D. White, College of Staten Island, CUNY, USA
Richard A. Williams, George Mason University, USA
Todd J. Zywicki, George Mason University, USA
Summary
This collection challenges the popular but abstract concept of nudging, demonstrating the real-world application of behavioral economics in policy-making and technology. Groundbreaking and practical, it considers the existing political incentives and regulatory institutions that shape the environment in which behavioral policy-making occurs, as well as alternatives to government nudges already provided by the market. The contributions discuss the use of regulations and technology to help consumers overcome their behavioral biases and make better choices, considering the ethical questions of government and market nudges and the uncertainty inherent in designing effective nudges. Four case studies - on weight loss, energy efficiency, consumer finance, and health care - put the discussion of the efficiency of nudges into concrete, recognizable terms. A must-read for researchers studying the public policy applications of behavioral economics, this book will also appeal to practicing lawmakers and regulators.
