Inside the Nudge Unit

Once a month or so, when our Houses of Parliament are otherwise empty, we should ask 100 to 300 randomly chosen members of the public to come and help us decide on some new aspect or detail of lifestyle policy, just like the questions listed above. They should have the argument presented, hear from those against, and be asked to give a view. At the same time, government departments wrestling with behavioural and lifestyle issues would ask to have their issue presented at one of the ‘people’s parliaments’. The conclusion would be advisory, not binding, but governments would be expected to publicly explain how they followed or ignored the results.