Nudge or tax? At last, some data

Which approach is best depends on where the bottleneck is

    • For a flu vaccine, researchers estimate that a 100% subsidy is still not as effective at improving uptake as a reminder to get vaccinated.
    • For a flu vaccine, researchers estimate that a 100% subsidy is still not as effective at improving uptake as a reminder to get vaccinated. PHOTO: REUTERS
    Published Wed, Aug 12, 2026 · 06:00 PM

    IT ALL seems very long ago, but there was a time when former UK prime minister David Cameron was most famous for his enthusiasm for behavioural public policy, better known as “nudges”.

    In a TED Talk released a few months before he became prime minister, he began by asking: “How do we make things better without spending more money?”

    It remains a seductive question.