Cass R. Sunstein
Harvard University · Economics
Active 1981–2024
About
Cass R. Sunstein is currently the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard and an Affiliate of the Department of Economics until June 30, 2023. He has served as the Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs from 2009 to 2012. Professor Sunstein is the founder and director of the Program on Behavioral Economics and Public Policy at Harvard Law School. His work involves areas such as Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Environmental Law and Policy, Employment Law, and Law and Economics, with a particular focus on behavioral law and economics. He has testified before congressional committees on many subjects and has been involved in constitution-making and law reform activities in various nations. Sunstein is an accomplished author of numerous articles and books, including titles such as 'Republic.com', 'Risk and Reason', 'Why Societies Need Dissent', 'The Second Bill of Rights', 'Laws of Fear: Beyond the Precautionary Principle', 'Worst-Case Scenarios', 'Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness', 'Simpler: The Future of Government', 'Why Nudge?', and 'Conspiracy Theories and Other Dangerous Ideas'. His research and projects include group decision-making and the idea of liberty.
Research topics
- Political Science
- Social Science
- Sociology
- Public relations
- Medicine
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Social psychology
- Engineering
- Artificial Intelligence
- Computer Science
- Virology
- Acoustics
- Environmental health
- Law
- Clinical psychology
- Physics
- Business
- Accounting
Selected publications
A synthesis of evidence for policy from behavioural science during COVID-19
Nature · 2023 · 107 citations
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Public relations
proposed 19 policy recommendations ('claims') detailing how evidence from behavioural science could contribute to efforts to reduce impacts and end the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we assess 747 pandemic-related research articles that empirically investigated those claims. We report the scale of evidence and whether evidence supports them to indicate applicability for policymaking. Two independent teams, involving 72 reviewers, found evidence for 18 of 19 claims, with both teams finding evidence supporting 16 (89%) of those 18 claims. The strongest evidence supported claims that anticipated culture, polarization and misinformation would be associated with policy effectiveness. Claims suggesting trusted leaders and positive social norms increased adherence to behavioural interventions also had strong empirical support, as did appealing to social consensus or bipartisan agreement. Targeted language in messaging yielded mixed effects and there were no effects for highlighting individual benefits or protecting others. No available evidence existed to assess any distinct differences in effects between using the terms 'physical distancing' and 'social distancing'. Analysis of 463 papers containing data showed generally large samples; 418 involved human participants with a mean of 16,848 (median of 1,699). That statistical power underscored improved suitability of behavioural science research for informing policy decisions. Furthermore, by implementing a standardized approach to evidence selection and synthesis, we amplify broader implications for advancing scientific evidence in policy formulation and prioritization.
A "Sludge Audit" for Health System Colorectal Cancer Screening Services
The American Journal of Managed Care · 2023 · 9 citations
- Medicine
- Environmental health
- Business
OBJECTIVES: "Sludge," or the frictions or administrative burdens that make it difficult for people to attain what they want or need, is an unexplored health care delivery factor that may contribute to deficiencies in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We piloted a method to identify and quantify sludge in a southeastern US health system's delivery of CRC screening services. STUDY DESIGN: Mixed methods sludge audit. METHODS: We collected and analyzed quantitative (insurance claims, electronic health record, and administrative files) and qualitative (stakeholder interviews and process observations) data associated with CRC screening for instances of sludge. Because they contribute to sludge and reduce system capacity for high-value screening, we also evaluated low-value CRC screening processes. RESULTS: Although specific results were likely amplified by effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sludge audit revealed important areas for improvement. A 60.4% screening rate was observed. Approximately half of screening orders were not completed. The following categories of sludge were identified: communication, time, technology, administrative tasks, paperwork, and low-value care. For example, wait times for screening colonoscopy were substantial, duplicate orders were common, and some results were not accessible in the electronic health record. Of completed screenings, 32% were low-value and 38% were associated with low-value preoperative testing. There was evidence of a differential negative impact of sludge to vulnerable patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our sludge audit method identified and quantified multiple instances of sludge in a health system's CRC screening processes. Sludge audits can help organizations to systematically evaluate and reduce sludge for more effective and equitable CRC screening.
Using Social and Behavioural Science to Support COVID-19 Pandemic Response
SSRN Electronic Journal · 2022 · 85 citations
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Social Science
Noise : a flaw in human judgment
William Collins eBooks · 2021 · 731 citations
Senior authorCorresponding- Computer Science
- Acoustics
- Artificial Intelligence
Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response
Nature Human Behaviour · 2020 · 5046 citations
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Social Science
Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response
2020 · 661 citations
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Social Science
The COVID-19 pandemic represents a massive global health crisis. Because the crisis requires large-scale behaviour change and places significant psychological burdens on individuals, insights from the social and behavioural sciences can be used to help align human behavior with the recommendations of epidemiologists and public health experts. Here we discuss evidence from a selection of research topics relevant to pandemics, including work on navigating threats, social and cultural influences on behaviour, science communication, moral decision-making, leadership, and stress and coping. In each section, we note the nature and quality of prior research, including uncertainty and unsettled issues. We identify several insights for effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and also highlight important gaps researchers should move quickly to fill in the coming weeks and months.
Frequent coauthors
- 67 shared
Lucia A. Reisch
University of Cambridge
- 63 shared
Richard H. Thaler
- 59 shared
Daniel Kahneman
Princeton University
- 58 shared
David Schkade
University of California, San Diego
- 52 shared
Eric A. Posner
- 28 shared
Adrian Vermeule
- 27 shared
Peter L. Strauss
- 26 shared
Christine Jolls
Education
- 1975
B.A., Political Science
University of Chicago
- 1977
M.A., Political Science
University of Chicago
- 1981
Ph.D., Political Science
University of Chicago
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