Reason, the libertarian magazine, has put together a video (hosted by comedian and libertarian advocate Drew Carey) on the virtues of organ donation.
The organ shortage in the U.S. is primarily due to default rules that require organ donors to formally register their wish to be a donor, known as explicit consent. In surveys, most Americans express a strong willingness to donate their organs upon death, but very few take the costly step of formally registering to become a donor. We tend to take people at their word that they do want to be an organ donor, and advocate switching the default rule from explicit to implicit consent, in which the minority of Americans (15-25 percent depending on polls) who do not want to be donors would fill out a form expressing those wishes.
The state of Illinois has implemented a successful online nudge through its Donate Life Illinois program. The web site attempts to use social norms and influences to convince people to sign up as donors.
Addendum: Reason Magazine’s Kerry Howley points out some complications with the presumed consent policy.
Addendum 2: Britain’s prime minister Gordon Brown backs presumed consent laws for organ donations.
Tags: default rules, health, organ donations
Nudge blog 
April 3, 2008 at 12:04 pm |
Thanks so much for calling attention to our efforts. We continue to work hard to encourage registrations as more than 4,700 Illinoisans and 98,000 people nationwide continue waiting for a second chance at life.
If you are from Illinois, please remember that you need to RE-REGISTER after Jan. 1, 2006 to join the state’s new first-person consent donor registry and ensure your wishes as a donor are honored.
Last, but not least, enjoy a fun National Donate Life Month message from our mascot, Morgan D’ Organ:
-Scott
Donate Life Illinois – Campaign Manager