Posted by Jonathan Adler:
Wright on "Libertarian Paternalism":
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_01_14-2007_01_20.shtml#1169040956
GMU law professor [1]Joshua Wright takes sides in the Posner-Becker
dialogue over libertarian paterianlism.
It is not enough to justify paternalistic intervention (soft, hard,
libertarian, or otherwise) simply to show that consumers make
mistakes. The burden of proof is to demonstrate that the government
can make better choices for the individual than can the individual.
In accounting for the long run costs of paternalism, we must also
be mindful of dynamic effects that are likely to follow from
paternalistic decision-making before intervening.
References
1.
http://www.truthonthemarket.com/2007/01/15/becker-and-posner-on-libertarian-paternalism/
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