Changing the default option can change behaviour more than a law can

Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein showed that small changes to how choices are presented, like making retirement savings opt-out instead of opt-in, dramatically shift what people do without banning any option or changing any incentive. They called this "libertarian paternalism," and the idea won Thaler the 2017 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.

— Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein, Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness — 2008
Go deeper: get the book →

One credited idea per card. No filler. Swipe the rest in Savvy.

Keep swiping — it's free Works right in your browser. No app store needed.

More Economics

All Economics cards →
More from Richard Thaler →
More from Cass R. Sunstein →

Five ideas worth knowing, every week

The week's best cards and a puzzle, credited as always. Free, unsubscribe any time.