The Rise of the Nanny State and What It Means
Introduction
The term “nanny state”, as defined by Jacquelyn H. Flaskerud, “has been applied to a government or its policies considered overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice” (2014, p.69). As James J. Chriss discusses in his article Nudging and Social Marketing, the nanny state in America has been growing steadily since around the 1960’s (2015 p.56). This has given rise to what is called the “totally administered society”, in which the government has a hand in almost all aspects of citizen’s lives. This is done under the guise of helping people live the best lives they can. This is a dangerous amount of control by a government, and certainly limits freedom in America, known …show more content…
Nudging is an attempt to influence behavior based on subtle suggestion. The actual definition of nudge is, according to Webster’s dictionary, is to touch or push something or someone gently (http://www.merriam-webster.com). The government uses nudging in order to gently influence the behavior of its citizens. This is a more subtle way of attempting to get citizens to conform, and one which is often met with little to no resistance in comparison to attempting to use policy (Chriss, Influence, Nudging, and Beyond, 2016). How can this be achieved in terms of helping public health? For example, local health departments can work with store owners to display healthy foods in a position of prominence, rather than junk food. This would be an effective form of nudging people into making healthier choices. This is a better option than heavy handed policy, because it still leaves the actual choice to the individual. While there may be a question of ethics on whether the government is manipulating citizens, the fact remains that people are more willing to accept nudging than they are policy (Wilkinson, 2013). Furthermore, with a proper amount of nudging, policy becomes easier to accept. For example, the dangers of smoking have been especially highlighted over the course of the last 30 years. For years and years people heard about the dangers of cigarette smoke. Then, it became an issue of second hand smoke. Now, even, there are advertisements highlighting the danger of second hand smoke to pets. With all the education, and with all the nudging, it became much easier for lawmakers to start banning smoking in public places, even in places smoking was traditionally accepted like bars and bowling alleys. Additionally, nudging and then formally these bans have led to a reduction in tobacco use among younger Americans (Vuolo, Kelly, & Kadowaki, 2016). Nudging has been effective in that instance, and has led to
Introduction
The term “nanny state”, as defined by Jacquelyn H. Flaskerud, “has been applied to a government or its policies considered overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice” (2014, p.69). As James J. Chriss discusses in his article Nudging and Social Marketing, the nanny state in America has been growing steadily since around the 1960’s (2015 p.56). This has given rise to what is called the “totally administered society”, in which the government has a hand in almost all aspects of citizen’s lives. This is done under the guise of helping people live the best lives they can. This is a dangerous amount of control by a government, and certainly limits freedom in America, known …show more content…
Nudging is an attempt to influence behavior based on subtle suggestion. The actual definition of nudge is, according to Webster’s dictionary, is to touch or push something or someone gently (http://www.merriam-webster.com). The government uses nudging in order to gently influence the behavior of its citizens. This is a more subtle way of attempting to get citizens to conform, and one which is often met with little to no resistance in comparison to attempting to use policy (Chriss, Influence, Nudging, and Beyond, 2016). How can this be achieved in terms of helping public health? For example, local health departments can work with store owners to display healthy foods in a position of prominence, rather than junk food. This would be an effective form of nudging people into making healthier choices. This is a better option than heavy handed policy, because it still leaves the actual choice to the individual. While there may be a question of ethics on whether the government is manipulating citizens, the fact remains that people are more willing to accept nudging than they are policy (Wilkinson, 2013). Furthermore, with a proper amount of nudging, policy becomes easier to accept. For example, the dangers of smoking have been especially highlighted over the course of the last 30 years. For years and years people heard about the dangers of cigarette smoke. Then, it became an issue of second hand smoke. Now, even, there are advertisements highlighting the danger of second hand smoke to pets. With all the education, and with all the nudging, it became much easier for lawmakers to start banning smoking in public places, even in places smoking was traditionally accepted like bars and bowling alleys. Additionally, nudging and then formally these bans have led to a reduction in tobacco use among younger Americans (Vuolo, Kelly, & Kadowaki, 2016). Nudging has been effective in that instance, and has led to