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Law and Norms: Empirical Evidence

Lane, Tom; Nosenzo, Daniele; Sonderegger, Silvia

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Authors

Tom Lane

Daniele Nosenzo



Abstract

A large theoretical literature argues laws exert a causal effect on norms, but empirical evidence remains scant. Using a novel identification strategy, we provide a compelling empirical test of this proposition. We use incentivized vignette experiments to directly measure social norms relating to actions subject to legal thresholds. Our large-scale experiments (n = 7,000) run in the United Kingdom, United States, and China show that laws can causally influence social norms. Results are robust across different samples and methods of measuring norms, and are consistent with a model of social image concerns where individuals care about the inferences others make about their underlying prosociality.

Citation

Lane, T., Nosenzo, D., & Sonderegger, S. (2023). Law and Norms: Empirical Evidence. American Economic Review, 113(5), 1255-1293. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20210970

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 21, 2023
Online Publication Date May 5, 2023
Publication Date 2023-05
Deposit Date Mar 27, 2023
Publicly Available Date May 5, 2023
Journal American Economic Review
Print ISSN 0002-8282
Electronic ISSN 1944-7981
Publisher American Economic Association
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 113
Issue 5
Pages 1255-1293
DOI https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20210970
Keywords Social Norms; Law; Expressive Function of Law
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/18995932
Publisher URL https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20210970&from=f

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