From Extreme to Mainstream: The Erosion of Social Norms

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2020
Volume: 110
Issue: 11
Pages: 3522-48

Authors (3)

Leonardo Bursztyn (not in RePEc) Georgy Egorov (not in RePEc) Stefano Fiorin (Università Commerciale Luigi B...)

Score contribution per author:

2.681 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Social norms, usually persistent, can change quickly when new public information arrives, such as a surprising election outcome. People may become more inclined to express views or take actions previously perceived as stigmatized and may judge others less negatively for doing so. We examine this possibility using two experiments. We first show via revealed preference experiments that Donald Trump's rise in popularity and eventual victory increased individuals' willingness to publicly express xenophobic views. We then show that individuals are sanctioned less negatively if they publicly expressed a xenophobic view in an environment where that view is more popular.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:110:y:2020:i:11:p:3522-48
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25