CHANGE

I recently read an article form the April 13, 2009 issue of Time magazine which discussed the methodologies behind Barack Obama's "Change." I found this article fascinating and I thought I would share some of the highlights. What I find most intriguing about this article however is that it was published six months ago. So, looking back on the past six months it is interesting to see how the concepts reviewed in the article are now being or attempting to be implemented.

The title is "How Obama is Using the Science of Change," by Michael Grunwald, and that is exactly what it is about. The focus of the article is how the implementation of Barack Obama's policies, including cap and trade and health reform, are intended to influence us to change our behaviors for the benefit of American society. He is relying upon a group behavioral economists who have researched human behaviors and how you can get the majority of people to participate in specific behaviors. More specifically, the economist have discovered that the primary motivation for people in general to change their behaviors is the notion that "everyone is doing it" or that it is the socially acceptable behavior. For example, "The most powerful motivator for hotel guest to reuse towels, national park visitors to stay on marked trails and citizens to vote is the suggestion that everyone is doing it."

According to the article, his concept of adjusting social norms has been extensively written about by many of his top advisers. Some of the suggestions by these advisers included in the article for adjusting our behaviors include having preventative care doctor's appointments scheduled for us or seniors being enrolled automatically in drug plan options. Other suggestions include automatic enrollment for retirement savings and having everyone automatically be an organ donor unless you say no. In other words, quoting the author of the article,"Behavioral economics leaves room for government action to help us do what we would really want to do if we were rational agents" (emphasis added)

This is certainly something to think about. The author summarizes what he believes Obama's intentions to be by stating "Obama is no therapist changing individuals one at a time. He's an organizer trying to build community and inspire collective action through ...rhetoric about shared values. In other words he's trying to create social norms."

So the "Change" that we have been expecting, and know is already here, is focused not on the government changing, but rather the citizens conforming their behavior to new social norms. I found this article to be very eye opening and subtle. I guess only time will tell if it is in fact true.

If you have a chance to read this fascinating article, please do, and than let me know what you think.
Here is a link to the article:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1889153,00.html