Consequences of inconvenient information: evidence from sentencing disparities

0557323 - NHU-C 2023 CZ eng V - Výzkumná zpráva
Šoltés, Michal
Consequences of inconvenient information: evidence from sentencing disparities.
Prague: CERGE-EI, 2022. 38 s. CERGE-EI Working Paper Series, 718. ISSN 2788-0443
Grant ostatní: UK(CZ) GAUK 218218
Institucionální podpora: Cooperatio-COOP
Klíčová slova: information disclosure * institutional trust * performance of public institutions
Obor OECD: Applied Economics, Econometrics
https://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp718.pdf

Inconvenient information about the performance of public institutions may undermine public trust. In an experiment, I test how information about sentencing disparities among judges in the Czech Republic affects respondents’ perception of the judicial system. I find no effect on respondents’ declared institutional trust and willingness to rely on the formal judicial system. Instead, the information marginally increased respondents’ policy involvement: They became more likely to: (i) sign a petition that invites politicians to address the underlying issue, and (ii) consider fairness of the judicial system a more important policy issue. The increased interest in the petition was driven by mothers, who are arguably more sensitive to the particular treatment information in the presented case of a failure to pay alimony.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0331361