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Social Ties and the Influence of Public Policies on Individual Opinions: The Case of Same-Sex Marriage Laws

Author

Listed:
  • Sylvie Blasco

    (GAINS - Groupe d'Analyse des Itinéraires et des Niveaux Salariaux - UM - Le Mans Université, IZA - Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit - Institute of Labor Economics)

  • Eva Moreno Galbis

    (AMSE - Aix-Marseille Sciences Economiques - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - ECM - École Centrale de Marseille - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Jeremy Tanguy

    (IREGE - Institut de Recherche en Gestion et en Economie - USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry] - Université Savoie Mont Blanc)

Abstract

This paper evaluates if same-sex marriage (SSM) laws, approved in several European Union countries over the past decades, have contributed to favor gay-friendly opinions among people depending on their social interactions. We propose a dyadic model in which individuals learn about the social norm conveyed by a law through strong and weak ties. We show that the relative importance of these social ties in shaping individuals' opinions depends on the alignment between the law and the local social norm. Using the 2002–2016 European Social Surveys, we test the theoretical predictions with a pseudo-panel dynamic difference-in-difference setting relying on the progressive adoption of SSM in European countries. We show that strong ties induce a lower increase in gay-friendly opinions following the adoption of SSM when the law is aligned with the local social norm. When the law clashes with this norm, strong ties induce a larger increase.

Suggested Citation

  • Sylvie Blasco & Eva Moreno Galbis & Jeremy Tanguy, 2022. "Social Ties and the Influence of Public Policies on Individual Opinions: The Case of Same-Sex Marriage Laws," Post-Print hal-03516198, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03516198
    DOI: 10.1093/jleo/ewab001
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://amu.hal.science/hal-03516198
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    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • K36 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Family and Personal Law
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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