At Work with The Ready 93. Getting Rid of Sludge for Good with Cass Sunstein
Nov 22, 2021
Cass Sunstein, a Harvard Law professor and behavioral science expert, dives into the concept of 'sludge'—the unnecessary barriers that disrupt our access to services. He reveals how bureaucratic red tape complicates even simple tasks, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups. Through personal stories, he discusses the impact of these obstacles and advocates for simplifying systems to enhance efficiency. Sunstein emphasizes that reducing sludge can lead to better decision-making and increased well-being, urging a collective push for change in organizational practices.
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Sludge Defined And Its Harm
- Sludge is friction like paperwork, waiting, confusing online forms, and in-person interviews that block people from getting entitled services.
- It disproportionately prevents vulnerable people from accessing benefits and aid they deserve.
How Sludge Originates
- Sludge arises from cautious lawyers, ambivalence about giving benefits, and overengineered safeguards by well-meaning administrators.
- Many instances persist not from malice but from risk aversion and failure to reconsider past choices.
Duplicate Data Entry Is A Time Tax
- Re-entering the same personal data across agencies is a 'time tax' that signals people's time doesn't matter.
- Data-sharing can cut sludge but must be balanced carefully with legitimate privacy risks.
