If you don't read this, we will have to tell your friends you're a DEFECTOR & siding with the enemy

Issue 3: On threatening identity for political donations; cutting-edge research on partisanship and social media; social macaques, cooperative caterpillars, and antisocial octopuses

When Victor Amelino donated $900 for Donald Trump’s campaign last fall, he didn’t notice a pre-checked box on the online form. Unbeknownst to him, when he hit the donate button, he was not just sending a generous one-time contribution, but was authorizing the organization to withdraw the same amount from his account every month. This they did seven times, ultimately taking more than $7,000.

Interviewed for an investigation by the New York Times, seventy-eight year old Amelino put his reaction bluntly. “Bandits,” he said. “I’m retired. I can’t afford to pay all that damn money.”

This type of tactic—making repeat payments a default and making it non-obvious how to opt out—caused online financing for Trump’s reelection bid to soar. It also triggered a huge number of fraud claims as people opened their bank statements and found charges they’d never expected. Ultimately, organizations associated with the Trump campaign had to issue refunds adding up to more than $122 million.

The election se…