ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book aims to develop a critical approach to the study of nudging in order to highlight the foundations, rationale, and effects of behavioural policies in the age of neoliberalism. It presents the conceptualization of nudge developed by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein. The book highlights the relation between nudges and Libertarian Paternalism. It argues that the processes of market deregulation, privatization, financialization of corporate strategies, and labour flexibility can be associated with the Libertarian Paternalist governance. The book explores how the articulation between Libertarian Paternalism and the neoliberal policy interventions turns out to shape the individual behaviour in the markets. Shedding light on the contributions of Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon and M. Foucault’s biopolitics, the book illuminates a vast set of issues related to the outcomes of “soft” government interventions and power techniques.
