De-Bias Yourself: Authority Bias and Why We Love a Good Clipboard

Our Willingness to Accept Authority is a Bias Risk — image CC

“People will tell you anything if you have a clipboard” — J, Alderperson, New Jersey

J is an elected local official in New Jersey (and a friend of mine). As part of their campaign, volunteers went door to door in this small town to canvas voters. After countless hours spent walking and talking, they noticed a distinctive pattern: if a voter was…