Choice architecture

In Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness Choice architecture describes the way in which decisions are influenced by how the choices are presented. It is in arranging the choice architecture in a certain way that individuals can be nudged in a certain way without taking away their freedom of choice.

Example

A simple example of a nudge would be placing healthy foods in a school cafeteria at eye level, while putting less healthy junk food in harder to reach places. Individuals are not prevented from eating whatever they want, but the arranging of the food choices in that way has the effect of decreasing consumption of junk food and increasing consumption of healthier foods.

Discussion

In theories of choice architecture however, it is not readily obvious the extent to which such "nudges" can influence behavior and still be considered libertarian. For example, if the government only allows junk food to be sold on the top of mountains, to what extent can such a policy truly be considered libertarian? The difference between only making junk food available on mountains and only making junk food available on shelves below eye level seems to be more a difference of degree rather than kind. Thaler and Sunstein discuss these issues in some portions of their book. At some point, this thing which does not seem like coercion, becomes a clear case of coercion. When the power used to gently nudge is absolute, no matter how slight the suggestion, its victim remains intimidated by the knowledge of the unlimited power behind it. Thus, because government necessarily sits in a position of almost unlimited power over the individual, any lifestyle suggestions they make are not compatible with Libertarian ideals.