Cass Sunstein Books

Help your students master the principles of administrative law in an era of change with this renowned casebook, "Administrative Law and Regulatory Policy": Problems, Text, and Cases, Fourth Edition. The book correlates issues of regulatory policy with doctrinal problems to explore the relationship between administrative government and democratic goals. Their extensively revised casebook now offers more explanatory materials, more concise text, many new cases, and reorganized material for greater accessibility. New co-authors Cass Sunstein and Matthew Spitzer join administrative law authorities Stephen Breyer and Richard Stewart to offer a matchless view of administrative law, including: -- how agencies promote -- or compromise -- political legitimacy -- how different understandings of democracy bear on evaluation of administrative government -- the multiple purposes of administrative agencies

The authors address concerns about the influence of unaccountable bureaucrats, referred to as the deep state, by advocating for a moral framework that promotes transparency and accountability in government. They argue that while the administrative state can appear daunting, it has the potential to operate on principled grounds, ensuring that rulemakers act ethically and do not misuse their power.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of contemporary perspectives on rationality within economics and social sciences. It presents a clear and self-contained exploration of how rationality is conceptualized and applied in these fields, making complex ideas accessible to a broad audience. By examining various theories and their implications, the text encourages readers to engage critically with the notion of rationality and its relevance in understanding human behavior and decision-making.

The book explores the phenomenon of human blindspots, examining why people often overlook critical issues such as pollution, dishonesty, and bias. It delves into the adaptive nature of humans that, while beneficial, can also result in a lack of awareness. The authors provide insights and strategies to help readers recognize and overcome these blindspots, fostering a greater understanding of the world around them.

"We live in an era of tribalism, polarization, and intense social division--separating people along lines of religion, political conviction, race, ethnicity, and sometimes gender. How did this happen? In Conformity, Cass R. Sunstein argues that the key to making sense of living in this fractured world lies in understanding the idea of conformity--what it is and how it works--as well as the countervailing force of dissent."--Publisher

Cover -- Table of Contents -- Introduction -- 1. Theories of Interpretation -- 2. The Inevitability of Choice -- 3. The Oath of Office -- 4. How to Choose -- 5. Traditions: "Athwart History, Yelling Stop" -- 6. Where to Stand -- Acknowledgments -- Index -- The Constitution of the United States.

Exploring theory and practice, this Element attempts to provide one-stop shopping for those who are new to then intersection between behavioral science and public policy, and for those who are familiar with it. With reference to nudges, taxes, mandates, and bans, it offers concrete examples of behaviorally informed policies.

Every day we make decisions: about the things that we buy or the meals we eat; about the investments we make or our children's health and education; even the causes that we champion or the planet itself. Unfortunately, we often choose poorly. We are all susceptible to biases that can lead us to make bad decisions that make us poorer, less healthy and less happy. And, as Thaler and Sunstein show, no choice is ever presented to us in a neutral way. By knowing how people think, we can make it easier for them to choose what is best for them, their families and society. Using dozens of eye-opening examples the authors demonstrate how to nudge us in the right directions, without restricting our freedom of choice. Nudge offers a unique new way of looking at the world for individuals and governments alike.This is one of the most engaging, provocative and important books you will ever read.

Exposing the drawbacks of egocentric Internet use, this text shows us how to approach the Internet as responsible citizens. Democracy, it maintains, depends on shared experiences and requires citizens to be exposed to topics and ideas that they would not have chosen in advance.

How do we decide how we decide? On the largest matters and the smallest ones, we make such decisions all the time. This book casts light on decisions about decisions-what they are, where they go wrong, and how they can be helped to go right.

"Every day we make choices--about food and other purchases, financial investments, our children's health and education, even the causes we champion or the planet itself. Unfortunately, we often choose poorly. Using dozens of eye-opening examples and drawing on decades of behavioral science research, Nudge shows how sensible "choice architecture" can help us to overcome the biases that lead to bad decisions and nudge us toward the best decisions for ourselves, our families, and our society"-- Provided by publisher

The rise of the "information society" brings both peril and promise. In a world inundated with media, how can we ensure that accurate information prevails? Cass R. Sunstein presents an optimistic view of human potential to gather and utilize knowledge for improvement. Amid information overload, it's easy to cling to biases and comforting opinions. Historical events like the Iraq war justification and the Enron collapse illustrate the dangers of "information cocoons," where leaders and groups ignore conflicting data. The challenge lies in overcoming insular decision-making to access collective knowledge. Innovative methods for sharing and aggregating information, particularly through the Internet, are empowering individuals, companies, and governments to create accurate knowledge bases. Self-correcting exchanges, wikis, and open-source software enable widespread participation in knowledge development. Prediction markets allow organizations to make informed decisions by efficiently aggregating information. Sunstein emphasizes how individuals can leverage this aggregated knowledge without falling prey to herd mentality, highlighting the accuracy of these new techniques. In a landscape where opinion often competes with evidence, the collaborative efforts of many may pave the way to a more informed society.

In The Ethics of Influence, Cass R. Sunstein investigates the ethical issues surrounding government nudges, choice architecture, and mandates.

How our shifting sense of "what's normal" defines the character of democracy"A provocative examination of social constructs and those who would alternately undo or improve them."— Kirkus ReviewsThis sharp and engaging book by leading governmental scholar Cass R. Sunstein examines dramatically shifting understandings of what’s normal—and how those shifts account for the feminist movement, the civil rights movement, the rise of Adolf Hitler, the founding itself, political correctness, the rise of gun rights, the response to COVID-19, and changing understandings of liberty. Prevailing norms include the principle of equal dignity, the idea of not treating the press as an enemy of the people, and the social unacceptability of open expressions of racial discrimination. But norms can turn upside-down in a hurry. What people tolerate, and what they abhor, depends on what else they are seeing. Exploring Nazism, #MeToo, the work of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, constitutional amendments, pandemics, and the influence of Ayn Rand, Sunstein reveals how norms change, and ultimately determine the shape of society and government in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere.

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 'A monumental, gripping book ... Outstanding' SUNDAY TIMES 'Noise may be the most important book I've read in more than a decade. A genuinely new idea so exceedingly important you will immediately put it into practice. A masterpiece' Angela Duckworth, author of Grit 'An absolutely brilliant investigation of a massive societal problem that has been hiding in plain sight' Steven Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics From the world-leaders in strategic thinking and the multi-million copy bestselling authors of Thinking Fast and Slow and Nudge, the next big book to change the way you think. We like to think we make decisions based on good reasoning - and that our doctors, judges, politicians, economic forecasters and employers do too. In this groundbreaking book, three world-leading behavioural scientists come together to assess the last great fault in our collective decision-making: noise. We all make bad judgements more than we think. Noise shows us what we can do to make better ones.

This book explores the intersection of law, cognitive psychology, and behavioral economics, providing insights into how human behavior influences legal decision-making. It examines recent discoveries in these fields to shed light on the psychological factors that affect legal outcomes and the effectiveness of laws. By integrating these disciplines, the author offers a fresh perspective on legal theory and practice, highlighting the implications for policymakers and legal professionals.

Many Americans fear the power of unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats-the deep state. Cass Sunstein and Adrian Vermeule seek to calm those fears by proposing a moral regime to ensure that government rulemakers behave transparently and don't abuse their authority. The administrative state may be a Leviathan, but it can be a principled one.

Worldwide, people are circulating damaging lies and falsehoods through powerful social media platforms that reach billions. They range from claims that COVID-19 is a hoax to the theory that vaccines cause autism. In Liars, Cass Sunstein argues that free societies must generally allow falsehoods and lies, which cannot be excised from democratic debate. At the same time, governments should regulate specific kinds of falsehoods: those that genuinely endanger health, safety, and the capacity of the public to govern itself. Sunstein concludes that government and private institutions, like Facebook and Twitter, currently allow far too many lies, including those that threaten public health and democracy.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Nudge and The World According to Star Wars, a revealing account of how today's Internet threatens democracy—and what can be done about it As the Internet grows more sophisticated, it is creating new threats to democracy. Social media companies such as Facebook can sort us ever more efficiently into groups of the like-minded, creating echo chambers that amplify our views. It's no accident that on some occasions, people of different political views cannot even understand one another. It's also no surprise that terrorist groups have been able to exploit social media to deadly effect. Welcome to the age of #Republic. In this revealing book, New York Times bestselling author Cass Sunstein shows how today’s Internet is driving political fragmentation, polarization, and even extremism--and what can be done about it. He proposes practical and legal changes to make the Internet friendlier to democratic deliberation, showing that #Republic need not be an ironic term. Rather, it can be a rallying cry for the kind of democracy that citizens of diverse societies need most.

"The world is increasingly confronted with new challenges related to climate change, globalization, disease, and technology. Governments are faced with having to decide how much risk is worth taking, how much destruction and death can be tolerated, and how much money should be invested in the hopes of avoiding catastrophe. Lacking full information, should decision-makers focus on avoiding the most catastrophic outcomes? When should extreme measures be taken to prevent as much destruction as possible? This book explores how governments ought to make decisions in times of imminent disaster. Cass R. Sunstein argues that using the 'maximin rule,' which calls for choosing the approach that eliminates the worst of the worst-case scenarios, may be necessary when public officials lack important information, and when the worst-case scenario is too disastrous to contemplate. He underscores this argument by emphasizing the reality of 'Knightian uncertainty,' found in circumstances in which it is not possible to assign probabilities to various outcomes. Sunstein brings foundational issues in decision theory in close contact with real problems in regulation, law, and daily life, and considers other potential future risks" --Amazon.com

Many of us are being misled. Claiming to know the “pals” of presidential aspirants, dark secrets about public officials, and hidden causes of the current economic crisis, those who spread rumors know precisely what they are doing. They are sometimes able to derail political candidates, injure companies and reputations, even damage democratic governance. And in the era of the Internet, they know more about manipulating the mechanics of false rumors—social cascades, group polarization, and biased assimilation—than you do. They also know that the presumed correctives—publishing balanced information, issuing corrections, and trusting to the marketplace of ideas—do not always work. A pioneer in the effort “to design regulation around the ways people behave” (The Wall Street Journal), Cass R. Sunstein uses examples from the real world and from behavioral studies to explain why certain rumors spread like wildfire and what we can do to avoid being misled.

As the Internet evolves, it poses new threats to democracy. Social media platforms like Facebook efficiently sort users into like-minded groups, creating echo chambers that intensify existing views. This division often leads to misunderstandings between people with differing political beliefs and allows terrorist groups to exploit these platforms for harmful purposes. In this insightful work, the author explores how the Internet fosters political fragmentation, polarization, and extremism, and suggests solutions. By reexamining the relationship between democracy and the online world, the author highlights phenomena such as "cybercascades," "confirmation bias," and the role of "polarization entrepreneurs." These factors threaten the shared conversations and experiences essential for a healthy democracy. To counteract this fragmentation, the author proposes practical and legal reforms aimed at enhancing democratic deliberation online. These changes would encourage unplanned interactions, exposing users to diverse perspectives and ideas beyond their usual feeds. The concept of #Republic can serve as a hopeful rallying cry for the inclusive democracy that diverse societies require, emphasizing the need for a more connected and understanding public discourse.

"A short manifesto on sludge, the goo that gums up the works of people working through various public and private systems, and why/how it should be reduced"-- Provided by publisher

The New York Times–bestselling co-author of Nudge explores how more information can make us happy or miserable—and why we sometimes avoid it but sometimes seek it out. How much information is too much? Do we need to know how many calories are in the giant vat of popcorn that we bought on our way into the movie theater? Do we want to know if we are genetically predisposed to a certain disease? Can we do anything useful with next week's weather forecast for Paris if we are not in Paris? In Too Much Information, Cass Sunstein examines the effects of information on our lives. Policymakers emphasize “the right to know,” but Sunstein takes a different perspective, arguing that the focus should be on human well-being and what information contributes to it. Government should require companies, employers, hospitals, and others to disclose information not because of a general “right to know” but when the information in question would significantly improve people's lives. Of course, says Sunstein, we are better off with stop signs, warnings on prescription drugs, and reminders about payment due dates. But sometimes less is more. What we need is more clarity about what information is actually doing or achieving.

Emphasizing the value of unplanned, unchosen encounters, the original "Republic.com" provoked a strong reaction from cyber-optimists. In this follow-up book, Sunstein answers the critics and expands his argument to take account of new developments about how people are using the Internet.

This work presents a significant contribution from a leading political and legal theorist, exploring contemporary issues and ideas that shape modern governance and society. The author delves into complex themes, offering profound insights that challenge conventional thinking and provoke critical discussions about power, justice, and the role of law in a democratic society. Through rigorous analysis, the book aims to inspire readers to reconsider their understanding of political and legal frameworks.

"We've all been involved in group decisions--and they're hard. And they often turn out badly. Why? Many blame bad decisions on 'groupthink' without a clear idea of what that term really means. Now, Nudge coauthor Cass Sunstein and leading decision-making scholar Reid Hastie shed light on the specifics of why and how group decisions go wrong--and offer tactics and lessons to help leaders avoid the pitfalls and reach better outcomes"--Dust jacket flap.

Ranging from psychoanalyst Adam Phillips's case study of a child whose confusion of "cloning" and "clothing" expresses our mixed desire and terror of sameness, to Cass Sunstein's projections of utterly plausible Supreme Court decisions both for and against human cloning; from William Miller's analysis of the queasiness and nervous laughter the subject elicits in many of us to Richard Epstein's libertarian argument against a research ban; from Andrea Dworkin's denunciation of another masculine effort to control reproduction to Martha Nussbaum's witty and elegiac fantasy of the cloning of a lost lover - this collection limns our beliefs and concerns about what it means to be human.

RESUMEN: Somos propensos a cometer errores. Cada día tomamos decisiones sobre temas tan vitales como la educación de nuestros hijos, nuestras inversiones, nuestra dieta o nuestras hipotecas. Desafortunadamente, muchas veces nos equivocamos. Esto se debe a que, como seres humanos, nos dejamos influir por una serie de percepciones erróneas que nos llevan al desacierto. El concepto de nudge, literalmente un pequeno empujón, sirve de base a las originales y eficaces propuestas de Thaler y Sunstein para revertir esta tendencia. Figuras de la talla de Barack Obama ya están adoptando estas medidas. Se trata de que las personas y las instituciones, tanto privadas como públicas, se esfuercen de forma consciente en orientar nuestras decisiones de modo que mejoren nuestras vidas. Impulsos leves, a menudo invisibles, para incentivarnos sin mermar nuestra libertad de elección. Citing decades of cutting-edge behavioral science research, the authors demonstrate that sensible choice architecture can successfully nudge people towards the best decisions without restricting their freedom.

Die Produktion und Verbreitung von Informationen und Wissen ist heute ein kollektives Unternehmen, an dem Experten und Laien weltweit über Wikis, Blogs und Open-Source-Projekte teilnehmen. Diese Entwicklung wirft die Frage auf, ob die Flut an ungesicherten Informationen uns zu einer digitalen Herde macht, die das glaubt, was viele für richtig halten, oder ob sie eine Utopie verwirklicht, in der wir Zugang zu gemeinsamem Wissen haben. Cass R. Sunstein präsentiert sich als entschiedener Infotopist und kritisiert traditionelle Expertenzirkel, die oft zu „Informationskokons“ werden, aus denen Entscheidungen mit fatalen Folgen resultieren – Beispiele sind der Irak-Krieg, der Enron-Skandal und der Absturz des Space Shuttle Columbia. Im Gegensatz dazu bietet der kollektive Wissenserwerb einen Prozess, in dem Informationen ständig öffentlich ausgetauscht, aktualisiert und kritisiert werden. Sunstein illustriert dies mit zahlreichen Beispielen und entwickelt theoretische Ansätze, um Kommunikationsprozesse im offenen Wissensnetzwerk so zu gestalten, dass sie zu präziserem Wissen führen. Im idealen Fall können alle an diesem Wissen partizipieren und profitieren.