Wealth and government intervention

Wealthier nations are less likely to favour government intervention. This is one of the conclusions of the study Acceptable behaviour by the Ipsos Mori Social Research Institute. The study looks into the acceptability of government interventions (information, incentives, restrictions, bans, legislation against companies, or not getting involved at all) on issues such as smoking, food, environment and pensions. The research was carried out in 24 states across the globe. In all cases there is a rather high degree of support for behaviour change policies. Support decreases when the force of the intervention increases. Almost half of the respondents have a negative attitude towards the "Nanny State". The study is also of interest when looking into support for the environmental conventions.