NUDGE VERSUS BOOST: A DISTINCTION WITHOUT A NORMATIVE DIFFERENCE. (23rd August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sims, Andrew; Müller, Thomas Michael
• Is Part Of: Economics and philosophy. Volume 35:Number 2(2019)
• Page Start: 195
• Page End: 222
• Publication Date: 2018-08-23
• Subjects: behavioural public policy, -- autonomy, -- libertarian paternalism, -- nudge, -- bounded rationality; Economics -- Philosophy -- Periodicals; 330.01
• DOI: 10.1017/S0266267118000196
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0266-2671

Abstract

Abstract: Behavioural public policy (BPP) has come under fire by critics who claim that it is illiberal. Some authors recently suggest that there is a type of BPP – boosting – that is not as vulnerable to this normative critique. Our paper challenges this claim: there's no non-circular way to draw the distinction between nudge and boost that would make the normative difference required to infer the permissibility of a policy intervention from its type-membership. We consider two strategies: paradigmatic examples and causal mechanisms. We conclude by sketching some suggestions about the right way to approach the normative issues.