Tag Archives: Stanley Milgram

Homo Politicus, Part II: Washington’s Obedience to Authority Problem


BOOK REVIEW

Obedience to Authority, Author: Stanley Milgram.

By Ralph Benko – What is an “Obedience to Authority” problem? In 1961, Yale Professor Stanley Milgram proved that, without much overt pressure, about two-thirds of normal people will shock an innocent victim to torturous, and potentially deadly, levels. All it takes is an authority figure directing them.

Milgram’s findings are, politically, ominous. There is no reason to anticipate a freefall into an American Holocaust. But Milgram’s work strongly suggests that government officials may have an unhealthy propensity to defer to authority — leading to terrible public policies. more> http://is.gd/ngrcpu