Britons are making healthier drink choices, driving on safer roads and achieving higher exam scores with the help of a nudge, according to a report. They include tests based on behavioural economics to improve policy areas from health and welfare to consumer affairs. The findings come a week after Richard Thaler, one of the founding fathers of “nudge” theory, was awarded the 2017 Nobel prize in economics for his work exploring behavioural economics. Although focused on the UK, the nudge unit has expanded globally since its was partially spun out from government in 2014, opening offices in New York, Sydney, Singapore and Wellington. Projects overseas in the past year include work to increase tax declarations in Mexico, involving 750,000 businesses, and improving court communications in Australia to cut reoffending rates for domestic violence.

Source: The Guardian October 19, 2017 04:52 UTC