Nudge-Plus

This month we will be discussing a recent Demos report: Control Shift. It argues for a ‘nudge-plus’ approach to helping individuals, families and communities make ‘better choices’ and behave more responsibly. Martyn Perks, a consultant, writer and speaker on design, innovation and business change, will kick things off. He asks the following questions:

Should we accept the authors’ justification for their nudge agenda on the basis that we are living in riskier times, and therefore we must be willing to take more responsibly for our actions? Are nudgers genuine in their defence of individual autonomy when they propose that anyone can ‘opt-out’ of having to act responsibly? On what basis can nudging coexist in a climate where state legislation, bans and regulation continues unabated?