President Obama signed an executive order Tuesday directing federal agencies to incorporate behavioral and social science into their policies, giving federal employees and citizens a “nudge” to make better decisions by simplifying forms, sending reminders, or re-framing their choices.
It’s the latest iteration of a philosophy that’s guided policy making since the early days of the Obama administration. Last year, the White House built a Social and Behavioral Sciences Team to come up with ways to improve services by presenting choices more clearly. Among their experiments: More.
Of course, presenting choices “more clearly” often depends on whether one agrees with the way the choices are framed. Some of us discovered that decades ago on used car lots.
Sunstein’s argument — that people often make irrational choices because of unconscious biases that can be overcome by reframing the choices — was particularly influential early in Obama’s presidency. Obama tapped Sunstein to oversee White House regulatory policy in Obama’s first term, and was influential in shaping health care and other regulations.
But his ideas were also controversial, especially among some Republicans who saw the idea as nanny state paternalism.
Many of us do not live on used car lots. But maybe some people do.
See also: Evo psych and economics
Note: No more news blogging till tonight, due to News’ alternate day job.
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Hat tip: Stephanie West Allen at Brains on Purpose