Mandated Choice Policies: When are they preferable?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mandated Choice Policies:

T2 - 50. Årsmøde i dansk selskab for statskundskab 2018

AU - Thaysen, Jens Damgaard

AU - Albertsen, Andreas

PY - 2021/9

Y1 - 2021/9

N2 - Under mandated choice policies, people are free to choose whichever option they prefer, but “choosing not to choose” is penalized. In Australia, voting is mandatory, and abstaining is penalized with a fine. In New Zealand and several American states, it is mandatory for those who want to obtain a driver’s license that they decide whether to register as organ donors. If they fail to do so, they will not receive a driver’s license. Proponents of such policies stress that they may be the least autonomy-infringing ways of achieving some good and provide society with knowledge about people’s preferences and are, partly for these reasons, preferable to employing defaults. This article compares mandated choice in voting and donor registration with respect to the ends served, how a mandated choice policy will serve these ends, the distribution of burdens, and the nature of the possible options. It is argued that mandated choice is more attractive in the context of donor registration.

AB - Under mandated choice policies, people are free to choose whichever option they prefer, but “choosing not to choose” is penalized. In Australia, voting is mandatory, and abstaining is penalized with a fine. In New Zealand and several American states, it is mandatory for those who want to obtain a driver’s license that they decide whether to register as organ donors. If they fail to do so, they will not receive a driver’s license. Proponents of such policies stress that they may be the least autonomy-infringing ways of achieving some good and provide society with knowledge about people’s preferences and are, partly for these reasons, preferable to employing defaults. This article compares mandated choice in voting and donor registration with respect to the ends served, how a mandated choice policy will serve these ends, the distribution of burdens, and the nature of the possible options. It is argued that mandated choice is more attractive in the context of donor registration.

KW - active choice

KW - compulsory voting

KW - mandated choice

KW - mandatory choice

KW - organ donation

KW - voting ethics

KW - ENGAGEMENT

KW - DILEMMA

U2 - 10.1177/1065912920936361

DO - 10.1177/1065912920936361

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1065-9129

VL - 74

SP - 744

EP - 755

JO - Political Research Quarterly

JF - Political Research Quarterly

IS - 3

Y2 - 1 November 2018 through 2 November 2018

ER -