Proponents of nudge theory argue that, because of our human susceptibility to an array of biases, we often make subprime choices and decisions that make us poorer, less healthy, and more miserable than we might otherwise be. However, using behavioural economics and insights from other disciplines they suggest that apparently small and subtle solutions (or nudges ) can lead to disproportionately beneficial outcomes without unduly restricting our freedom of choice. Indeed, the apparently virtuous and cost-effective possibilities of nudge theory has led to its enthusiastic adoption by...

As Russia aggressively tries to regain the status of a 'Great Power', whether it has the economic capacity to do so has become a matter of enormous topical importance, not just for those with a long-standing professional interest in the Russian economy, but also for a wider range of economists, political scientists, and foreign-policy specialists who need to understand the workings of this major--if somewhat unusual--state. Moreover, to determine if Russia can meet and sustain its apparent ambitions requires a knowledge not just of its current economic circumstances, but also of its...

Given that commercial shipping has been undertaken for over five thousand years, it is perhaps unsurprising that Maritime Economics is a well-established and flourishing area of research and study. Now, a new four-volume collection from Routledge s Critical Concepts in Economics series answers the growing need for an authoritative reference work to enable users to make better sense of its voluminous literature. Indeed, the sheer scale of the research output and the breadth of the field makes this anthology especially welcome. It provides a one-stop collection of classic and contemporary...