Is Everyone’s Life Worth the Same? Dilemmas for Regulations

Determining the relative costs and benefits of federal regulations often requires putting
an implicit price-tag on lives, but there is little agreement on the right way to do it. Should all
regulations use the same value of a statistical life, or should it vary based on a person’s
characteristics, such as age or income? Professors Sunstein and Viscusi have been at the
forefront of this debate. In this Joint Center seminar, they will review some of the recent data
on what people are willing to pay to reduce different kinds of risks, and also examine how this
information should be used in public policy decisions.

11:45 am Registration

12:00 pm Lunch

12:30 pm
Welcome:
Robert Hahn
AEI-Brookings Joint Center

Panelists:
Cass Sunsteine, University of Chicago Law School
W. Kip Viscusi, Harvard University Law School

2:00 pm Adjournment

To register online, visit the AEI-Brookings Joint Center website. Please contact Sasha Gentling with any questions, 202/862-5903 or [email protected].