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Trump Ante Portas: Political Polarization Undermines Rule-Following Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Feldhaus, Christoph

    (Ruhr University Bochum)

  • Reinhardt, Lukas

    (University of Oxford)

  • Sutter, Matthias

    (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods)

Abstract

In a democracy, it is essential that citizens accept rules and laws, regardless of which party is in power. We study why citizens in polarized societies resist rules implemented by political opponents. This may be due to the rules' specific content, but also because of a general preference against being restricted by political opponents. We develop a method to measure the latter channel. In our experiment with almost 1,300 supporters and opponents of Donald Trump, we show that polarization undermines rule-following behavior significantly, independent of the rules' content. Subjects perceive the intentions behind (identical) rules as much more malevolent if they were imposed by a political opponent rather than a political ally.

Suggested Citation

  • Feldhaus, Christoph & Reinhardt, Lukas & Sutter, Matthias, 2024. "Trump Ante Portas: Political Polarization Undermines Rule-Following Behavior," IZA Discussion Papers 17448, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17448
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    political polarization; social identity; outgroup; economic preferences; experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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