Coase-Sandor Working Paper Series in Law and Economics
Publication Date
2019
Publication Title
Coase-Sandor Working Paper Series in Law and Economics
Abstract
In standard economic models, two basic assumptions are made: the first, that actors are rational and, the second, that actors' preferences are a given and exogenously determined. Behavioral economics—followed by behavioral law and economics—has questioned the first assumption. This article challenges the second one, arguing that in many instances, social welfare should be enhanced not by maximizing satisfaction of existing preferences but by changing the preferences themselves. The article identifies seven categories of cases where the traditional objections to intentional preferences change by the state and the law lose force and argues that in these cases, such a change warrants serious consideration. The article then proposes four different modes of intervention in people's preferences, varying in intensity, on the one hand, and the identity of their addressees, on the other, and explains the relative advantages and disadvantages of each form of intervention.
Number
886
Recommended Citation
Ariel Porat, "Changing People's Preferences by the State and the Law", Coase-Sandor Working Paper Series in Law and Economics, No. 886 (2019).
