The Ethics of Influence - Government in the Age of Behavioral Science (Relié)

"In this era of intransigence and intolerance, The Ethics of Influence is a vitally needed book. It embraces what all of us - left, right, and center - mutually want : a balance between the goals of welfare, autonomy, dignity, and self-government. What's more, it is a hoot to read. Roll Over Mill and Marx ; tell Hayek and Gramsci the news." George A. Akerlof - Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2001. "As more governments and businesses turn to "nudging," pioneer Sunstein turns his brilliant mind to building an ethical framework for these powerful approaches.
New findings on public attitudes to nudges - showing surprisingly high levels of support even among traditionally skeptical Americans - are combined with Sunstein's trademark clarity of thought to offer a timely framework that will be influential across the world." David Halpern - CEO, Behavioural Insights Team, and author, Inside the Nudge Unit. "Behavioural regulation has spread to governments worldwide.
This brilliant book tackles the many myths that have evolved around the use of behavioural economics in politics. Cass Sunstein explains in clear words how (and why) the core values of an Ethical State - welfare, autonomy, dignity, and self-government - are indeed best served by governments that carefully base their policies on an empirical foundation and use behavioural insights as additional effective policy tools." Professor Lucia A.
Reisch - Behavioural Economist, Copenhagen Business School. "Cass Sunstein knows more than anyone about nudging, and in this very insightful book he brings his acute reasoning to understanding the ethics behind choice architecture. Here he considers sources from Mill to Hayek to Ostrom, and argues that choice architecture is unavoidable and in many cases that it's the right thing to do. Just as importantly, he talks about when nudging is.wrong and when it is manipulative.
All in all, it is an essential book for anyone interested in the ethics of behavioral intervention, either by governments or firms." Eric J. Johnson - Norman Eig Professor of Business, Columbia University.