Social Experiments and the Habitual Force of Law

In: Journal of public policy, Band 7, Heft 1, S. 33-42

Abstract

It is argued that advocates of pervasive social experimentation in the US neglect to consider its potential effects on citizens' respect for the law & their inclination to obey it. Since habit plays a large part in law abidingness, frequent alterations in law, even when substantively justified on narrow policy grounds, weaken the power of law in general. Leading political theorists' views on social experimentation are reviewed, & evidence about the political costs of such experimentation is presented, based on data from technical reports & interviews with 6 people involved in the administration of various income support, housing, & police patrol experiments. It is concluded that social experiments can have great utility & shed light on crucial dimensions of important policy questions; but in view of their effects on citizens' law abidingness & support for the regime, they should be used with extreme restraint. 26 References. Modified HA