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4A - Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
mymid ioan Bal'b1
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
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Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
MICHELLE DEWITT
STEPHANIE STEINBERG and EMILY ORLEY NICK SPAR
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE FDITORS MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position oftthe Daily's editorial board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Imran Syed is the public editor. He can be reached at publiceditor@michigandaily.com.
(Ad)vocating consistency
AATA advertisement policy must be more clear
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Tuesday
against the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority on the
grounds of a free speech violation. Blaine Coleman, an Ann
Arbor resident and activist, wanted to publish anti-Israel advertise-
ments on the side of AATA buses. The ACLU contends that by refusing
Coleman's advertisement, the AATA is violating the First Amendment
right to free speech. The AATA should develop a consistent policy
regarding the content of its bus advertisements to avoid future issues.
It's a great honor, it's humbling and all those things:'
- University football coach Brady Hake said about
being awarded Big Ten Coach of the Year, as reported by The Michigan Daily yesterday.
The prescriptive science
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Coleman sent AATA an e-mail in Decem-
ber 2010 inquiring if it would be possible to
purchase an ad on the side or back of the bus
that runs along State Street, South University
Avenue and North University, according to
AnnArbor.com. His proposed advertisement
stated, "Boycott Israel. Boycott Apartheid."
Coleman's request was denied by the AATA,
which cited a policy of accepting ads in "good
taste" and rejecting those that "scorn or ridi-
cule a person or group of persons." The suit
was filed and pointed to the vague nature of
the company's policy on advertisements.
Regardless of the content of the advertise-
ment, the issue lies in free speech and the con-
sistency of policy. The AATA is a public transit
system, and its decisions reflect on the city of
Ann Arbor. By allowing certain advertisements
to be placed on buses and denying Coleman's
attempt to express his views, the transporta-
tion authority appears to be picking and choos-
ing which viewpoints it wants its riders and the
city to see. A potentially unpopular opinion in
the community is still an opinion, and Coleman
has the right to speak his mind as much the
next Ann Arbor resident.
The AATA has allowed numerous contro-
versial advertisements to run in the past. Res-
idents of Ann Arbor have seen ads regarding
issues of race, religion and politics on buses
for years from organizations like New Life
Church and politicians like Margaret Con-
nors, a candidate for district court judge in
2008. Such examples indicate that the AATA
does not have a concrete policy regarding the
selection or refusal of advertisements.
The AATA has the right to choose what it
shows on the side of buses. These advertise-
ments can affect business and the way area
residents perceive the business. It is a legiti-
mate concern that people who see the adver-
tisement would associate the content with
the AATA and not strictly with the advertise-
ment purchaser. The company must developa
policy with clear guidelines as to what it will
and will not display on AATA buses. Consis-
tency in decision-making is crucial to being
fair and reasonable.
The AATA's current advertisement policy is
vague and has been pushed aside for past bus
advertisements. The AATA must understand
the risks it takes when choosing to publish a
potentially controversial advertisement. By
developing a clear-cut policy, the company
will be able to avoid future problems regard-
ing free speech.
y friends tell me they're
taking Economics 101
to gain some practi-
cal knowledge
about the field,
but I think they'd
learn more about
how people
make decisions
and respond
to incentives
by going to a
college party. ERIK
There, they TORENBERG
would see real
life cost-benefit
analyses - and few of them would
be rational, consistent or optimal, as
their textbooks assume.
I'm notsure if Nobel Prize winner
Daniel Kahneman conducted any of
his research at college parties, but
his new book, "Thinking, Fast and
Slow," in blurring the line between
psychology and economics, reveals
how unconscious biases lead people
to systematically make irrational,
sub-optimal decisions.
What Kahneman's book does is
invalidate the cold, calculating and
emotionless persona that economists
and policy makers have built insti-
tutions around. He says he hopes
that the vocabulary he outlines to
describe unconscious biases - the
halo effect, representative bias, illu-
sion of validity, to give just a few
examples - leads to more nuanced
conversations about human capital.
What his book doesn't do, unfor-
tunately, is help us correct these
systematic biases. Even Kahneman
himself still falls for the same biases
he's been studying for more than 40
years. The ancient maxim, "know
thyself," while important, is sim-
ply not enough to change behavior.
Being aware that we're susceptible
to priming, loss-aversion or the halo
effect doesn't mean we can avoid
them. Self-description, that's one
thing; self-correction, that's some-
thing else entirely.
Yet some economists, like Rich-
ard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, refuse
to settle for mere self-description.
Their book, "Nudge," proposes an
interesting premise: Helping our-
selves - changing habits, altering
unconscious biases - on our own
is very difficult. Our environments,
however, can give us nudges that can
compensate for these biases and help
us make better decisions.
For example, want to encourage
people to lose weight? Don't show
them how restaurants "prime" them
to overeat. Just have the salad bar
be the first thing they see in the
cafeteria. Want people to save more
money? Don't tell them why they're
overspending. Just default them into
a 401(k). Want students to have col-
lege aspirations? Don't merely show
them the statistics. Bring in real live
examples of people who've succeed-
ed and who've failedbecause of their
education choices.
Thaler and Sunstein call the
designing of incentives choice
architecture. The designs can be
institutional, but they can also be
personal. The application SelfCon-
trol, for instance, stops users from
spending too much time on the
Internet. The website Stickk helps
users "stick" to their goals by attach-
ing a variety of monetary incentives.
The community of Life Hackers, a
group that posts tips and "hacks" -
everyday time-saving cheats - to be
more productive, is so prolific that
they create life hacks to stop them-
selves from posting life hacks.
The applications and benefits of
choice architecture are most illumi-
nating, in my opinion, when applied
to the context of author David Foster
Wallace's speech, "This is Water."
Wallace states that what your edu-
cation really teaches you is not how
to think, but rather, what to think.
When you're shopping in the super-
market late at night, and you're lone-
ly, tired and hungry, the ability to
analyze classroom arguments isn't
going to save you. It's going to be up
to you to consciously choose to not
be angry, to not give other people a
hard time.
Choice architecture concedes that
controlling what to think is a daunt-
ing task. As humans, we are way more
influencedbyour environments than
we'd like to admit. So choice archi-
tecture aimsto reverse the approach.
Instead of merely encouraging peo-
ple to, well, overcome their systemat-
ic tendencies to make mistakes, let's
change their environments to help
them prevent themselves from mak-
ing these mistakes inthe first place.
Change your
world to change
your mind.
So at the supermarket, you won't
stress over finding groceries; you'll
have your template list and which
isles they're on readily available.
You'll shoot your must-send e-mails
just by speaking into your phone.
And if you're angry, your phone will
sense that and confirm that you still
want to send that passive-aggressive
message.
In effect, there are two differ-
ent sciences here. Kahneman's sci-
ence, the descriptive science, is
an extensive study of the system-
atic flaws our intuition commits.
Knowledge of this science, however,
is not enough to change behavior.
Choice architecture, the prescrip-
tive science, aims to fill the gap left
by descriptive science - to design
institutions and choice structures
that compensate for our biases and
help us make better decisions.
Kahneman has just compiled
more than 40 years of descriptive
science research. For prescriptive
science, Thaler and Sunstein's book
was just the beginning.
If Kahneman is like the Lewis and
Clark of the human mind, whoever
masters the prescriptive science will
be like Neil Armstrong.
- Erik Torenberg can be
reached at erikto@umich.edu.
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Aida Ali, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Nirbhay Jain, Jesse Klein,
Patrick Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Teddy Papes, Timothy Rabb,
Vanessa Rychlinski, Caroline Syms, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner
GRAHAM KOZAK|
Reconstruct capitalism
Make MSA relevant
You've seen pictures of the signs and ban-
ners at the globe-spanning Occupy protests:
Capitalism is crisis. Capitalism isn't working.
Abolish capitalism. Perhaps you've even held
a placard with a similar message at a local
Occupy event.
As we struggle to undo the lingering
damage of the 2008 financial crisis, it isn't
difficult to understand why hundreds of
thousands of people have taken their griev-
ances to the streets. Something is clearly
wrong with a system that rewards individual
recklessness with bailouts while sticking
those least able to pay with the bill.
But the problem is not capitalism itself.
Rather, it is capitalism's bastardized form
- often called cronyism, state capitalism or
corporatism - that is responsible for so many
ills attributed to the free market. Left to their
own devices, individuals acting in the free
market work together to provide the goods
and services that improve the lives of all,
whether rich or poor. Yet the market mecha-
nism, when corrupted, quickly and inevitably
becomes a facilitator of unbridled greed.
Of course, many do not find these claims
convincing. The dispute over the merit of
free markets has lasted centuries. And it is
not difficult to understand why the debate
endures today, for the question of capitalism
is not merely one of economics. It is a ques-
tion of how to structure our society.
Even many of capitalism's nominal support-
ers are reluctant to view capitalism as ideal or
moral; it is often treated as a "necessary evil,"
a messy system that is nevertheless better
than its alternatives. As the Occupy movement
brings the flaws of our supposedly laissez-faire
system into sharp focus, these weak justifica-
tions are looking ever more inadequate. Clear-
ly, supporters of capitalism need a deep, robust
argument if the free-market system is to sur-
vive the current economic crisis.
Tom Palmer is one man who can help make
the much-needed moral case for capitalism.
Palmer is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute
in Washington D.C. He is also the vice presi-
dent for international programs at the Atlas
Economic Research Foundation. For the past
three decades, Palmer has traveled the globe,
bringing the message of individual liberty to
some of the world's most oppressed peoples.
His journeys have taken him to the satellite
states of the former Soviet Union, across the
Middle East and throughout Asia, Africa and
Latin America.
Palmer brings a unique, global perspective
to the economic and social problems we are
facing here at home. The University's chap-
ter of College Libertarians is pleased to host
Palmer as he visits campus today, and we
would like to extend an invitation to attend
the talk to all members of the campus com-
munity. Whether you consider yourself a cap-
italist, a socialist or something in between,
we're sure you will find Palmer's presenta-
tion both enjoyable and educational.
Tom Palmer will be presenting a free talk
entitled "The Morality of Capitalism: Where
Occupy Wall Street Went Wrong" today,
from 7:30p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The location is
Forum Hall, Palmer Commons. A question-
and-answer session will follow.
LSA senior Graham Kozak is the president of
the University's chapter of College Libertarians
'd like to present a challenge to
the Michigan Student Assem-
bly: Become relevant. In the
past few weeks
I've become
increasingly dis-
satisfied with
our student rep-
resentatives on
campus. The
organization has
been plagued by
a lack of produc- EAGHAN
tivity and rele- DAVIS
vance on campus
for years. After
numerous conversations with
friends, one of who is an MSA rep-
resentative, I'm still attempting to
understand the Assembly. At the end
of every conversation, the question I
continue to ask is "What does our
student government accomplish?"
I'd like to present students with a
challenge. Take five minutes out of
your day and see how students on
campus are being represented. Go to
MSA's website and see what our stu-
dent government has accomplished
in the past few months. I'm sure
you'll be as surprised as I am. This
semester, MSA has passed a dis-
mal amount of resolutions. I'm not
implying this is a change in behavior
from the past, but upon seeing the
docket of resolutions, I became dis-
mayed with MSA's ineffectiveness
and the organization's inability to
equate the needs of every University
student to representative action.
This semester, MSA's track record
is laughable. In October, MSA
attempted to pass a resolution call-
ing for the University to reconsider
its investments in British Petroleum,
Northrop Grumman, Monsanto, and
HanesBrands Inc. It failed. A reso-
lution to "reconsider investments"
in companies that have histories of
human rights and ecological abuses
(BP's Gulf oil spill, Hanes's use of
child labor) failed. An investigation
into divesting from companies with
questionable business practices
seems like a fairly simple and non-
controversial decision. Apparently,
it's not for our student government.
One of the most productive reso-
lutions the body has produced is
a resolution to support a $2.50 fee
increase for student legal services.
MSA has passed resolutions to sup-
port bills in the state House of Rep-
resentatives. (I'm sure politicians
in Lansing are chomping at the bit
to hear if their legislation received
MSA's stamp of approval.) Ina land-
mark development, MSA announced
yesterday that it would change its
name to the "Central Student Gov-
ernment" in an attempt to make the
organization more recognizable.
One of my personal favorites is a
resolution to support the Under the
Lights Tailgate before the Michi-
gan vs. Notre Dame game on Sept.
10. Though many of these legisla-
tive actions make sense, is it what
you'd like your student assembly to
be concerning itself with? Are there
not more pressing issues on campus?
Less than three weeks ago, this
year's round of MSA elections took
place. Only 7 percent of the student
body participated in electing our
student representatives. I'm not
going to preach about your civic
duty to vote in student elections.
Clearly, the percentage of students
who voted was dismal. Last year,
about 10 percent of the student body
elected MSA officials. But there
must be a reason why so few of our
peers vote. I'll make my reasonsvery
clear: I chose not to vote because I
believe Benjamin Franklin's senti-
ments on the definition of insanity. I
refuse to do the same thing over and
over and expect different results.
Yet, because of my stubbornness
and ignorance about the state of our
student government, I've silenced
my voice.
As University students, we
deserve an Assembly that is relevant
- that concerns itself with problems
on campus, not superfluous bureau-
cratic issues.
Only 7 percent
of students
voted this year.
In the context of my challenge to
MSA, I'm not using 'relevant' as a
snide way to poke fun at the assem-
bly's accomplishments - I mean
that the assembly has the ability
to be a democratic caucus for ideas
and concerns across campus. Why
have we as students allowed our
government to become an assem-
bly wrought in mediocrity? The
only way to change the way MSA
operates is through participation.
Next time there is an opportunity to
change a broken system, utilize it. I
know I will.
- Eaghan Davis can be reached
at daviseas@umich.edu.
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