Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/284287 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
CeDEx Discussion Paper Series No. 2023-12
Publisher: 
The University of Nottingham, Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics (CeDEx), Nottingham
Abstract: 
Building on findings showing that laws exert a causal effect on social norms, this paper investigates whether this "expressive power of law" differs by gender or race. We develop a model to show that such differences are theoretically plausible. We then use an incentivized vignette experiment to test whether these differences are empirically relevant. Results from an online sample of around 4000 subjects confirm that laws causally influence social norms. However, we find little evidence of a differential effect across gender or race, suggesting that gender and race biases in the legal system are driven by other mechanisms than differences in the expressive power of law.
Subjects: 
Social Norms
Law
Expressive Function of Law
Gender Gap
Racial Bias
JEL: 
C91
C92
D9
K1
K42
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.