Obama's Libertarian Paternalism

This is probably the benefit of Obama's association with University of Chicago economists. George Will:

Thaler and Sunstein say the premise of libertarian policy is that people should be generally free to do what they please. Paternalistic policy "tries to influence choices in a way that will make choosers better off, as judged by themselves." So "libertarian paternalism is a relatively weak, soft, and nonintrusive type of paternalism because choices are not blocked, fenced off, or significantly burdened."

Thaler and Sunstein stress that if "incentives and nudges replace requirements and bans, government will be both smaller and more modest." So nudges have the additional virtue of annoying those busybody, nanny-state liberals who, as the saying goes, do not care what people do as long as it is compulsory.

Of course, some of Obama's policies will more significantly burden choices, but I think a general approach of lightly influencing choices is preferable to traditional heavy-handed big government regulation.