Do laws shape attitudes? Evidence from same-sex relationship recognition policies in Europe

Cevat Giray Aksoy, Christopher S. Carpenter, Ralph De Haas and Kevin Tran

European Economic Review, 2020, vol. 124, issue C

Abstract: Understanding whether laws shape or simply reflect citizens’ attitudes is important but empirically difficult. We provide new evidence on this question by studying the relation between legal same-sex relationship recognition policies (SSRRPs) and attitudes toward sexual minorities in Europe. Using data from the European Social Surveys covering 2002–2016 and exploiting variation in the timing of SSRRPs across countries, we show that legal relationship recognition is associated with statistically significant improvements in attitudes toward sexual minorities. These effects are widespread across demographic groups but are consistently larger for more conservative groups in countries with less gender equality. Our results suggest that laws can exert a powerful influence in shaping societal attitudes.

Keywords: Public opinion; Same-sex relationship recognition policies; LGB attitudes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: K36 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (60)

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Working Paper: Do Laws Shape Attitudes? Evidence from Same-Sex Relationship Recognition Policies in Europe (2020)
Working Paper: Do Laws Shape Attitudes? Evidence from Same-Sex Relationship Recognition Policies in Europe (2018)
Working Paper: Do Laws Shape Attitudes? Evidence from Same-Sex Relationship Recognition Policies in Europe (2018)
Working Paper: Do Laws Shape Attitudes?: Evidence from Same-Sex Relationship Recognition Policies in Europe (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:124:y:2020:i:c:s0014292120300313

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2020.103399

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