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Religious Rituals: Evidence from Ramadan

Author

Listed:
  • Sultan Mehmood

    (New Economic School, Moscow)

  • Avner Seror

    (Aix-Marseille University)

  • Daniel L. Chen

    (TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - UT - Université de Toulouse - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

We estimate the impact of the Ramadan fasting ritual on criminal sentencing decisions for Pakistan and India from half a century of daily data. We use random case assignment and exogenous variation in fasting intensity within Ramadan due to the rotating Islamic calendar and the geographical latitude of the district courts to document large effects of Ramadan fasting on decision-making. Our sample comprises roughly a half million judicial cases and 10,000 judges from Pakistan and India. Ritual intensity increases acquittal rates of Muslim judges, lowers their appeals and reversal rates, and does not come at the cost of increased recidivism or heightened outgroup bias. Overall, our results highlight that the Ramadan fasting ritual followed by a billion Muslims worldwide induces more lenient decisions that appear to be of higher quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Sultan Mehmood & Avner Seror & Daniel L. Chen, 2022. "Religious Rituals: Evidence from Ramadan," Working Papers hal-03899724, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-03899724
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03899724
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    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-03899724/document
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alberto Alesina & Eliana La Ferrara, 2014. "A Test of Racial Bias in Capital Sentencing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(11), pages 3397-3433, November.
    2. Filipe Campante & David Yanagizawa-Drott, 2015. "Editor's Choice Does Religion Affect Economic Growth and Happiness? Evidence from Ramadan," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 130(2), pages 615-658.
    3. Chen, Daniel L. & Moskowitz, Tobias J. & Shue, Kelly, 2016. "Decision-Making Under the Gambler’s Fallacy: Evidence From Asylum Courts, Loan Officers, and Baseball Umpires," IAST Working Papers 16-43, Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST).
    4. Daniel L. Chen & Tobias J. Moskowitz & Kelly Shue, 2016. "Decision Making Under the Gambler’s Fallacy: Evidence from Asylum Judges, Loan Officers, and Baseball Umpires," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(3), pages 1181-1242.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Religious rituals; Ramadan; Decision-making;
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