Thought nudging had left with the last Government?

[ashes]

I found this document rather worrying, it could have been written by George Orwell.

http://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publicati...

[ninja-lewis]

Nope, the Coalition are subtly taking it to new heights. They set up a Behavourial Insight Team within the Cabinet Office.

They published a report last week on the results of several trials such as changing the wording of tax forms. Other work they've done has covered 'required choice' for organ donation, redesigning prescription charts and shifting focus towards the cost of heating a home and away from plain efficiency ratings.

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/b...

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/file...

[Randy Winkman]

But they are cutting regulation - so it's OK.

[MX7]

"In 2009, Sir Gus O‟Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service, asked Matt Tee, Permanent Secretary for Government Communication, to review the implications of behavioural theory for policy-making."

This report is a result of the last government. I don't think it makes much sense to abandon everything that's in progress when we get a new government.

It does seem a slightly odd report, and one that's probably best left to academia, but it appears that neither administration is directly responsible for it.

[0a]

Thanks for this, it looks like it'll be interesting reading.

This is a very useful area for governments to look at. As providers of services, it's impossible for them to be neutral in terms of how choice is presented, so they should be aware of basic behavioural issues.

The book "Nudge" is mainstream but a good introduction on this topic http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nudge-Improving-Decisions-...

[Randy Winkman]

MX7 said:

"In 2009, Sir Gus O‟Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service, asked Matt Tee, Permanent Secretary for Government Communication, to review the implications of behavioural theory for policy-making."

This report is a result of the last government. I don't think it makes much sense to abandon everything that's in progress when we get a new government.

It does seem a slightly odd report, and one that's probably best left to academia, but it appears that neither administration is directly responsible for it.

From the BIT Update -

"The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) was
established in July 2010. Its objective is to make
a reality of the Coalition Government’s intention
to find ‘intelligent ways to encourage, support
and enable people to make better choices for
themselves’. "

[Asterix]

Nothing business hasn't been doing for years.

Marketing, retail and supermarket merchandising is a science in this sort of thing.

[speedy_thrills]

Asterix said:

Nothing business hasn't been doing for years.

Marketing, retail and supermarket merchandising is a science in this sort of thing.

How dare they manufacture consent! This is literally like the newest thing ever in government.

[turbobloke]

Randy Winkman said:

From the BIT Update -

"The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) was
established in July 2010. Its objective is to make
a reality of the Coalition Government’s intention
to find ‘intelligent ways to encourage, support
and enable people to make better choices for
themselves’. "

Meaning, finding ways for the government to (they hope) persuade people to take decisions that the government wanted them to take, while not letting on that the decision was in fact not always best for the individuals making the decisions but good for the re-election chances of chancers.

As people know better what's best for them, and as politicians are out-of-touch and self-serving, this is a bad thing.