, Columnist
Require People to Wear Masks When Nudges Fall Short
Giving people the freedom to do the right thing is great. But if lives are at stake, mandates are the only solution.
Strike the “please.”
Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg
This article is for subscribers only.
What if nudges fail?
Because of the coronavirus, that question has suddenly become urgent. Efforts to nudge people to wear masks, to engage in social distancing, and to use other protective measures have done some good. But with more than 170,000 deaths, they cannot be counted a smashing success.