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This is a book that has caused something of a stir over the last year or so. In particular, the leader of UK Conservative party, David Cameron, is reportedly very interested in the ideas the book presents. Likewise, the Obama administration seems ready to take up the idea of 'nudge', and one of the authors, Sunstein, has just been appointed as head of White House office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The idea of 'nudge' is therefore something we ought to take seriously.
But how seriously can we take it? In particular, what can we make of an idea that is built on a deliberate oxymoron, namely, the concept of 'libertarian paternalism'? Have Thaler and Sunstein come up with something new and original, or is the appeal of 'nudge' precisely that it gives legitimacy to what politicians like Cameron and Obama wish to do anyway?
The book is clearly aimed at the general reader as well as academics and policy makers. It makes no great demands on its readers, being written in that rather informal and chatty style favoured by American authors when they are trying to reach beyond a purely academic audience. The book is divided into five parts, of which the first defines the idea of nudge itself. The authors are critical of policies built on straightforward economic incentives, and they take issue with what has become known as 'efficient economy' model. Instead,...