Why do people come to support a highly controversial law? Manipulating the clarity and coherence of a law can shape individuals’ perception and approval

Abstract

In our research, we investigated the role of law clarity and coherence on individuals’ approval of this law in the specific context of a widely discussed and controversial topic: the ban on wearing religious signs in public spaces. We hypothesize that manipulating the clarity and coherence of a law influences individuals’ approval of that law through a change of their perception. We conducted two experiments in which participants read a fictitious proposed law. We manipulated the degree of clarity and coherence of the law and measured participants’ perception of and adherence to that law. The results consistently supported our hypotheses. Our research contributes to the literature by showing how individuals’ perception and approval of a law are malleable, even in the specific context of a hot topic. Furthermore, these findings should sensitize policy makers on how to effectively communicate new policies.