i think even if the european system did systematically generate more organ donations, a lot of people would be uncomfortable with it philosophically. People are squeamish about that for emotional and philosophical reasons. Even you could convince them that it wold lead to more kidneys and more lives saved, they still might not favor it. And similarly, i think the idea that the government owns your your kidney, and unless you claim it back, would make some people uneasy. But again, this is just another example where the government has to choose some rules,. We think that they should think systematically about which rules are going to make society better off. Yos, though, there is no interest of
Richard Thaler of the U. of Chicago Graduate School of Business defends the idea of libertarian paternalism--how government might use the insights of behavioral economics to help citizens make better choices. Host Russ Roberts accepts the premise that individuals make imperfect choices but challenges Thaler on the likelihood that government, in practice, will improve matters. Along the way they discuss the design of Sweden's social security system, organ donations and whether professors at Cornell University are more or less like you and me.