When Law Changes Attitudes Within the Integrated Approach

This chapter considers when and under what conditions will laws lead to attitudinal and behavioral change in the long run. First, it considers the conditions necessary for continued compliance through acquiescence, identification, and internalization. Second, it considers the conditions under which individuals who may have complied with the law through acquiescence (fear of legal sanction) or weak identification (fear of social sanctions) can be motivated to comply with laws voluntarily (through strong identification and/or internalization). In the process, it identifies the social and institutional conditions that societies and policymakers can focus on to create a general culture in favor of legal compliance. As importantly, it highlights the limits of using only laws and formal enforcement mechanisms for creating lasting attitudinal change. In fact, as the chapter discusses in the last sections, over-emphasizing the role of law and legal enforcement can have the perverse effect of undermining conditions necessary for future compliance with the law.