How Change Happens

by Cass R. Sunstein

Overview

The different ways that social change happens, from unleashing to nudging to social cascades.

"Sunstein's book is illuminating because it puts norms at the center of how we think about change. "—David Brooks, The New York Times

How does social change happen? When do social movements take off? Sexual harassment was once something that women had to endure; now a movement has risen up against it. White nationalist sentiments, on the other hand, were largely kept out of mainstream discourse; now there is no shortage of media outlets for them. In this book, with the help of behavioral economics, psychology, and other fields, Cass Sunstein casts a bright new light on how change happens.

Sunstein focuses on the crucial role of social norms—and on their frequent collapse. When norms lead people to silence themselves, even an unpopular status quo can persist. Then one day, someone challenges the norm—a child who exclaims that the emperor has no clothes; a woman who says “me too. ” Sometimes suppressed outrage is unleashed, and long-standing practices fall.

Sometimes change is more gradual, as “nudges” help produce new and different decisions—apps that count calories; texted reminders of deadlines; automatic enrollment in green energy or pension plans. Sunstein explores what kinds of nudges are effective and shows why nudges sometimes give way to bans and mandates. Finally, he considers social divisions, social cascades, and “partyism,” when identification with a political party creates a strong bias against all members of an opposing party—which can both fuel and block social change.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780262538985
Publisher:	MIT Press
Publication date:	04/14/2020
Series:	The MIT Press
Pages:	344
Sales rank:	747,572
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Cass R. Sunstein, Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School, was Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Obama administration. He was the recipient of the 2018 Holberg Prize, one of the largest annual international research prizes awarded to scholars who have made outstanding contributions to research in the arts and humanities, social science, law, or theology. He is the author of The Cost-Benefit Revolution, How Change Happens (both published by the MIT Press), Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness (with Richard H. Thaler), and other books.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

I Norms and Values 1

1 Unleashed 3

2 The Law of Group Polarization 19

3 The Expressive Function of Law 39

II The Uses and Limits of Nudges 57

4 Nudging: A Very Short Guide 59

5 Forcing Choices 67

6 Welfare 87

7 Nudges That Fail 95

8 Ethics 115

9 Control 137

10 Coercion 147

11 On Preferring A to B, While Also Preferring B to A 157

III Excursions 181

12 Transparency 183

13 Precautions 201

14 Moral Heuristics 215

15 Rights 243

16 Partyism 257

Closing Words 273

Acknowledgments 275

Notes 277

Index 307

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

It's often said that the only constancy in life is change. Cass Sunstein weaves threads from diverse traditions in behavioral science to explain how big shifts get started.

—Angela Duckworth, Founder and CEO of Character Lab and Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania; author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

If you think you'd like to change something—another person, an organization, or even your  society—then try this test: Pick up this book and read five pages. If you don't have your eyes opened with a fresh insight or useful tool, well, you're probably not serious enough about making change.

—Chip Heath, Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business; coauthor of Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard

For those lamenting the status quo, and questioning whether change is possible, Cass Sunstein provides a ray of hope. Integrating insights from his own, and others', research on topics such as social norms, group polarization, and pluralistic ignorance with his intimate knowledge of law and public policy, Sunstein provides a road map of how change can and does happen. Characteristically wise and erudite, How Change Happens is a must-read for those who want to understand, and help to instigate, social change.

—George Loewenstein, Herbert A. Simon University Professor of Economics and Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University

Many prominent scholars write about why desirable changes occur in some contexts but not others. None brings to the challenge the breadth of Cass Sunstein, or his depth of insight into the complexities involved. How Change Happens provides a breathtaking tour of the vast intellectual landscape on the subject, bringing into focus critical elements of the topography and interactions among its features. Academics and the wider public alike will benefit from Sunstein's profound ideas, lucid exposition, and engaging writing.

—Timur Kuran, Professor of Economics and Political Science, Gorter Family Professor of Islamic Studies, Duke University

Cass Sunstein's new book is a tour de force exploring one of the most urgent problems of our time: how and why seemingly stable societal norms collapse and long-standing institutions come apart. Containing a feast of ideas on policy intervention, the book is bound to open up new avenues of research, and deserves to be read by students of economics, law, and politics.

—Kaushik Basu, Professor of Economics and Carl Marks Professor of International Studies, Cornell University

Editorial Reviews

Sunstein’s book is illuminating because it puts norms at the center of how we think about change.”
—David Brooks, The New York Times
 
“In this dense and technical, but illuminating, work influenced by behavioral science and political philosophy, legal scholar and policy theorist Sunstein (Nudge) further develops his ideas on how changes in attitude and behavior ought to happen . . . This is a work that demands—but rewards—the reader's full attention.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 04/01/2019

In this dense and technical, but illuminating, work influenced by behavioral science and political philosophy, legal scholar and policy theorist Sunstein (Nudge) further develops his ideas on how changes in attitude and behavior ought to happen. As in his previous works, Sunstein argues that, rather than relying upon blunt policy instruments such as bans and mandates, “choice architects” can often effectively accomplish their desired outcomes using less coercive mechanisms (“nudges”). He first explores how and why social norms regulate behavior, particularly how people who challenge social norms provoke shifts in attitudes and behavior after others discover that a previously constraining norm has lost its force. He considers the ethical ramifications of the “libertarian paternalist” approach toward policy, which seeks to promote individual and collective welfare while preserving choice, ultimately declaring that “choice architecture” is unavoidable: life itself nudges people. In the final, most accessible section, Sunstein engages a selection of more specific problems, including the potential flaws in relying upon mental shortcuts in moral decision-making. This is a work that demands—but rewards—the reader’s full attention. Readers who lack a background in behavioral economics or philosophy may find themselves questioning some of these disciplines’ assumptions about human nature, but Sunstein’s cautious and judicious discussion of these topics is worth consideration. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly