
Britain’s Ministry of Nudges - RougeFemme
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/business/international/britains-ministry-of-nudges.html?ref=business&_r=0
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widdershins
I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I like the somewhat scientific
approach to the little things that government does - I think that approach is
sorely lacking in many areas of government.

On the other, just the idea of governments using behavioral science to 'herd'
us is a little worrying. To be honest though, I don't find that nearly as
worrying as the idea that such small differences in the phrasing of a letter,
for example, can have so much influence on the decisions we make.

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walshemj
Ah you mean when many "nudges" are pandering to the prejudices of the tabloid
press and UKIP?

Some of these nudges have unplesent side effects the bed room tax has lead to
several suicides.

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DanBC
The bedroom tax is not a nudge.

Cultural note: UK has a benefit called "Housing benefit". It pays rent for
people in certain circumstances. Years ago people renting from a private
landlord had limits imposed about the size of property they could rent - they
were not allowed to be over accommodated. (Or they could be, but they wouldn't
get that rate for the property and they'd need to make up the difference).
Recently this rule has been applied to people renting from the public sector -
local council housing and housing association properties.

In theory it creates liquidity in the property market, and makes sure people
are in the right size homes and getting the right amount of benefit. In
practice people who can only afford to live in council housing cannot afford
to move, even if there were other properties available for them. (And there
usually aren't, and even less so now that so many people are looking to move.)

In this situation a nudge would be finding the sticking point of why people
stay in properties with too many rooms and finding a way to help them move.
Offering to ebay extra possessions, allowing them to fit into a smaller home,
would be a nudge. Offering help with removal vans or other logistics might be
a nudge.

Cutting benefit to poor people is a kludge.

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Game_Ender
It really makes you question the structure that puts in place the original
polices this group "nudges". There needs to be an incentive structure in the
government itself, that encourages every department to improve how they
function continuously. You shouldn't have to create a special department that
focus on one tiny portion of the government at once for improvement.

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csmuk
Well actually how it works is X knows that Lord Y hasn't got a position in the
government at the moment so the funny hand shake club[1] gets together and
comes up with a new position. In this case the Ministry of Nudges with chief
nudger, a whole staff of public servants, a budget, and a whole pile of
expenses like duck houses.

[1] masons, Eton alumni etc.

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lsc
Are the masons still a thing? I know it was a big deal back in the day, but
none of the masons I know (well, that I know are masons; I'm not one myself)
are as well-connected as, say, I am.

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csmuk
Yeah I actually posted that from inside a masonic Lodge ironically (dinner
party that was basically a throw back to 1970). I'm not a mason but one of my
relatives is. Have escaped now, thank fuck.

Masons still tend to be well connected in traditional professions if they
admit it or not and they do leverage their connection regularly. The
appearance I get is that they are downplaying themselves as a "happy little
drinking club" rather than a formal organisation.

The basic promise of the masons is that they will always put another mason
first. That first means before the law and before ethics.

I've witnessed this (with respect to the law). They can make your life very
difficult if they want to so I'm keeping out of their business past the
formality.

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lsc
>Masons still tend to be well connected in traditional professions if they
admit it or not and they do leverage their connection regularly. The
appearance I get is that they are downplaying themselves as a "happy little
drinking club" rather than a formal organisation.

Huh. I totally bought the "happy little drinking club" story - maybe I was too
distracted trying to come up with a proper William Morgan joke.

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csmuk
I came up with numerous jokes today (not William Morgan ;-) but my relative is
entirely devoid of a sense of humor.

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hiharryhere
Most of it is just A/B testing infringement notices:

"The wording of letters sent to those owing income tax was changed to inform
them that most people in their town had already lodged their return. Rewording
letters has resulted in an extra £200 million ($290 million) being collected
on time, practically cost-free." [1]

A friend of mine works for a nudge unit within the New South Wales state
Government in Australia, they're seeing some really interesting results.

[1] [http://www.smh.com.au/comment/what-a-difference-a-nudge-
in-t...](http://www.smh.com.au/comment/what-a-difference-a-nudge-in-the-right-
direction-can-make-20130406-2hdab.html)

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ris
I urge everyone to listen to this in counterpoint to the recent hype of nudge:

[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b02144zz](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b02144zz)

(may be IP-limited to uk, apologies)

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trekky1700
I much prefer the Ministry of Silly Walks.

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lovemenot
Say no more.

