Government paternalism: ‘Nanny state’ or ‘helpful friend’?

Do governments have the right to influence citizens’ behaviour related to smoking tobacco, eating too much, not saving enough, drinking alcohol or taking marijuana? Or does this create a nanny state, leading to infantilisation, demotivation and breaches in individual autonomy? In this Vox Talk, Julian Le Grand – co-author with Bill New of ‘Government Paternalism’ – discusses the lessons from behavioural economics about human mistakes and the potential for the state to guide citizen decision-making in positive ways.