Identity in Court Decision-Making

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Ahrsjo, Ulrika; Niknami, Susan; Palme, Marten
• 署名单位: Stockholm School of Economics; Stockholm University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-ECONOMIC POLICY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7731
• DOI: 10.1257/pol.20220802
• 发表日期: 2024
• 页码: 142-164
• 关键词: gender; judges; BIAS; disparities; PREJUDICE; POLITICS; RACE; sex

摘要

We explore the role of identity along multiple dimensions in high-stakes decision-making. Our data contain information about demographic and socioeconomic indicators for defendants and randomly assigned jurors in a Swedish court. Our results show that defendants are 4 to 6 percent less likely to get a prison sentence if judged by one more juror belonging to the same identity-forming group. Moreover, they are given 10 percent shorter prison sentences. Socioeconomic background and demographic attributes are equally important for identity effects, and these effects stem from trials of longer duration and where the defendant is present in the courtroom.