Farah Savira
February 4, 2014
Kristin Skager
Read 211-10
Challenge Reading #1
Summary and Response of “Britain’s Ministry of Nudges”

Summary

In the article “Britain’s Ministry of Nudges”, Katrin Bennhold discusses about the Britain government’s development of nudging that has its advantages and disadvantages. The author begins the introduction with a test held by 24-year-old psychologist, Alex Gyani, which examines how writing exercise can help people to seek a job. This concept is known as behavior change. Although the concept adapts from America’s best-selling book, “Nudge”, by Richard H. Taller and Cass R. Sustein, British government is the one who apply the understanding. Then, Britain’s Prime Minister, David Cameron, built a team to nudge people that called “Behavioral Insights Team” or “nudge unit” in 2010 that were expected to improve the society. As a result, Britain government has succeeded to involve in tax payment and trained the public servant in behavior science. In addition, Gyani thinks that the idea of plan making from Todd Rogers, an assistant professor of public policy at Harvard, will create commitment to people who run it. Even though Britain’s nudge unit efforts are beneficial, people think that the government controls their choices, diminishes the services, and makes the job seekers feel forced to take the writing exercise. Nevertheless, the belief of nudging has convinced American policy makers to improve the government services. Ultimately, Bennhold asserts the nudge unit’s leader statement, David Halpern, saying that nudging will help the traditional policy to improve without remove it.

Response

From my point of view, I’m quite unsure whether this idea would be effective to change people’s behavior. Although the concept is strong enough and the evidence has proven beneficial, I still believe that each country has its own