The New York Times–bestselling author of Nudge reveals how we became so burdened by red tape
and unnecessary paperwork—and why we must do better.If nudges have a mortal enemy or perhaps
the equivalent of antimatter to matter it’s ‘sludge’.” —ForbesWe’ve all had to fight our way
through administrative sludge—filling out complicated online forms mailing in paperwork
standing in line at the motor vehicle registry. This kind of red tape is a nuisance but as
Cass Sunstein shows in Sludge it can also impair health reduce growth entrench poverty and
exacerbate inequality. Confronted by sludge people just give up—and lose a promised outcome: a
visa a job a permit an educational opportunity necessary medical help. In this lively and
entertaining look at the terribleness of sludge Sunstein explains what we can do to reduce
it.Because of sludge Sunstein explains too many people don't receive benefits to which they
are entitled. Sludge even prevents many people from exercising their constitutional rights—when
for example barriers to voting in an election are too high. (A Sludge Reduction Act would be a
Voting Rights Act.) Sunstein takes readers on a tour of the not-so-wonderful world of sludge
describes justifications for certain kinds of sludge and proposes Sludge Audits” as a way to
measure the effects of sludge. On balance Sunstein argues sludge infringes on human dignity
making people feel that their time and even their lives don't matter. We must do better.
