Why Dodge the Question?

Politicians are notoriously fond of “dodging questions.”  But why would anyone do this?  If a wife asks her husband, “Where were you last night?,” dodging the question is practically his worst possible option.  After all, if he won’t answer, her common-sense reaction is to assume the worst.

What makes politics different?

The best explanation, once again, centers on Social Desirability Bias.  In plain English: When the truth sounds bad, people bend the truth.  When all straightforward answers...