I'll cast myself as an extremist libertarian. I think tat at's the wrong extremist libertarian position. The extremest libertarian position would be in a private sector. In a company case, companies set up their caffeterias in a way to attract employees. So why wouldn't that be the default that would emerge from a market solution? And why would you even worry about this idea of a paternalism? Why would there be anything different? We that is, if a manager is corrupt and takes bribes from suppliers, and puts the food or chooses bad food because she's corrupt, she'll pay a price in the market place.
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.