nanny laws news stories on Newser

'Coercive Paternalism' Is Bad Parenting

Harry Kimball — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 09:57:25 CDT

Under the banner of what’s good for you, an insidious new trend is growing. “Coercive paternalism,” Steve Chapman writes in Reason , is the wrong-minded older sibling of the much-in-vogue “libertarian paternalism” responsible for dietary information in chain restaurants. “Libertarian paternalists … limit themselves to promoting informed choices,” Chapman writes. “Coercive...

Frank, Chicago Isn't Your Kind of Town Anymore

Wesley Oliver — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:28:37 CDT

The gritty home of the Bulls and Bears is turning soft, Radley Balko gripes in the Chicago Tribune . The Windy City has developed a nasty case of paternalism that’s trampling the rights of its people to smoke, drink, and eat trans fats freely—and even ranked last in a poll...

Left Coast Democrats Lead in Nanny Laws

Sarah Seltzer — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:03:35 CST

Smoking, trans fat and auto emissions are only the beginning: A group of California legislators is agitating for measures regulating everything from having your pet neutered to changing your light bulbs. They're called "nanny laws," and poli-sci types say they're a product of prosperity. It's "post materialist," says Bruce Cain,...