Framing Debates

There's a great column in the New York Times that talks about how we frame ideas. Choosing different words has a huge effect on how we feel about stuff.

I don't think that the government necessarily should trick us into spending the tax rebate checks they're about to mail us. But it's important to know that these psychological techniques work. Call it a rebate, we save it. Call it a bonus, we spend it. Same money, different label, different behaviour.

Now, when it comes to economic stimulus, I'm swayed by Jerry Springer's argument that the rich already buy everything they want, while the poor will spend money if you give it to them, because they haven't bought everything they want. And David Sarasohn argues that if we increase spending in food stamps, it'll get spend faster than sending checks, because food stamp accounts can be increased in weeks, not months. And it'll all get spent. Feeding the hungry.