Three Cheers for the Nanny State

What does the Mississippi Legislature pass to counteract government intervention in local restrictions on food or drink?

• A soda ban.

• A law banning municipal restrictions.

• A ban on large-size sugary drinks.

• A law promoting government intervention.

According to John Stuart Mill, when is it fair to stop someone from a certain behavior?

• Always.

• When they are acting out of ignorance and doing something they'll regret.

• When they are acting in their best interest.

• Only in the case of natural disasters.

What do psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky identify as a cognitive tendency in decision-making?

• Rational thinking.

• Cognitive bias.

• Mill's principle.

• Present bias.

What is the status quo bias, as mentioned in the passage?

• A tendency to procrastinate.

• Valuing what is already possessed over alternatives.

• A preference for large sodas.

• A resistance to government intervention.

According to the author, what is the crucial point about our ability to make decisions?

• Our decisions are always rational.

• Our minds are simpler than imagined.

• It's difficult for us to take in relevant information in some situations.

• We are prone to unpredictable miscalculations.

What does the term "paternalistic" mean in the context of the passage?

• A preference for large sodas.

• Inclined to act as a father might, especially in taking responsibility for another's welfare..

• A resistance to government intervention.

• A law promoting government intervention.

Explain the meaning of "convenience" in the sentence: "if it’s too painful, it’s not a good law."

• Valuing what is already possessed over alternatives.

• Written instructions for the preparation and administration of a medicine.

• Involuntary or automatic, without thought.

• The state of being convenient; suitability.

Define "prescriptions" as used in the passage.

• A tendency to procrastinate.

• Involuntary or automatic, without thought.

• Written instructions for the preparation and administration of a medicine.

• A preference for large sodas.

In the phrase "shared cognitive inheritance," what does "inheritance" refer to in the context of the passage?

• The passing on of traits or characteristics from one generation to the next.

• A resistance to government intervention.

• The state of being convenient; suitability.

• A law promoting government intervention.

Why is there so much controversy around New York City's attempt to impose a soda ban?