Synopses & Reviews
Dr. Mark D. White explains the informational, ethical, and practical problems faced by libertarian paternalism and 'nudges,' by which the government subtly influences people's choices for their own good, in his exciting new volume The Manipulation of Choice. In a lighthearted manner, the author points out critical flaws in the way economists model decision-making, how behavioral economics failed to correct them, and how they led to the problems with libertarian paternalism and nudges. Sprinkled throughout with anecdotes, examples, and references to a wide range of scholarly literature, this new volume argues against the use of paternalistic nudges by the government and makes a positive case for individual choice and autonomy.
Review
Review
Review
"The 'libertarian paternalism' theory promises to use the state to help correct citizens' wrong decisions without asking their consent, yet also without truly entering the realm of coercion. Too good to be true? Indeed it is, as this book helps to show. Mark White gives us the sort of analysis we need to nudge back." - Walter Olson, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute, USA
"The Manipulation of Choice states that paternalists impose their own values and goals onto hapless consumers and citizens. Hence, public policies designed to correct the imperfections of behavioral irrationality are coercive. This is an important point and one that needs to be debated." - Jonathan B. Wight, Professor of Economics and International Studies, University of Richmond, USA
"An important book on a timely topic. The Manipulation of Choice is an accessible book that is especially well suited for students. But it is also a welcome challenge to a currently fashionable theory that libertarians and paternalists alike should read with pleasure. Mark White . . . challenges the moral foundations of the entire research program." - The Independent Review
"The work is a solid, compelling read for anyone interested in a concise but comprehensive account of the case against libertarian paternalism and its theoretical foundations. In the course of battling libertarian paternalism and its underlying theories, White simultaneously builds a positive case for individual freedom in defence of more traditional, non-paternalistic paradigms of libertarian philosophy and economics." - Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics
Synopsis
This timely book makes a forceful argument that the analyses from behavioral economists are incomplete, the policies advocated by libertarian paternalists are misguided and unethical, and both actually reinforce the cognitive biases and dysfunctions that motivate 'nudges' in the first place. In a lighthearted manner, the author points out critical flaws in the way economists model decision-making, how behavioral economics failed to correct them, and how they led to the problems with libertarian paternalism and nudges. Sprinkled throughout with anecdotes, examples, and references to a wide range of scholarly literature, this new volume argues against the use of paternalistic nudges by the government and makes a positive case for individual choice and autonomy.
This book is part of White's triptych on individualism and society, which includes The Illusion of Well-Being and The Decline of the Individual.
Synopsis
Dr. Mark D. White explains the informational, ethical, and practical problems faced by libertarian paternalism and 'nudges,' by which the government subtly influences people's choices for their own good, in his exciting new volume The Manipulation of Choice. In a lighthearted manner, the author points out critical flaws in the way economists model decision-making, how behavioral economics failed to correct them, and how they led to the problems with libertarian paternalism and nudges. Sprinkled throughout with anecdotes, examples, and references to a wide range of scholarly literature, this new volume argues against the use of paternalistic nudges by the government and makes a positive case for individual choice and autonomy.
About the Author
Mark D. White is the Chair of the Department of Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy at the College of Staten Island, a previous Palgrave author (Accepting the Invisible Hand: Market-Based Approaches to Social-Economic Problems, 2010), and the series editor of Palgrave's 'Perspectives from Social Economics' series. At his Psychology Today blog 'Maybe It's Just Me, But…,' he writes about a wide range of topics, from adultery and self-loathing to more esoteric topics in philosophy and law, regularly draws thousands of readers. He also provides scholarly commentary on the Economics and Ethics group blog, discussion of comics and philosophy at The Comics Professor, and offers law-related perspective as a guest blogger at The Literary Table. His website is http://www.profmdwhite.com and he can found on Twitter at @profmdwhite.
Table of Contents
The Problem with Economic Models of Choice
How Behavioral Economists Make These Problems Worse, Not Better
How Behavioral Economics Met Law-and-Economics and Begat Nudge
Why Nudge Can't Work
Why Nudge Is Unethical
Why Nudge Will Backfire in the Long Run
Why Nudge is Paternalistic (and Hardly Libertarian) - and Why Paternalism Is Wrong
Why Choice is Valuable and Should Be Yours to Make