People obey the law if they believe it's legitimate, not because they fear punishment--this is the startling conclusion of Tom Tyler's classic study. Tyler suggests that lawmakers and law enforcers would do much better to make legal systems worthy of respect than to try to instill fear of punishment. He finds that people obey law primarily because they believe in respecting legitimate authority.
In his fascinating new afterword, Tyler brings his book up to date by reporting on new research into the relative importance of legal legitimacy and deterrence, and reflects on changes in his own thinking since his book was first published.
Price: $47.00
Pages: 320
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Publication Date:
07 May 2006
ISBN: 9780691126739
Format: Paperback
BISACs:
LAW / General, Jurisprudence and general issues
"Praise for the original edition: "[T]he argument and findings of Why People Obey the Law have important implications for the debate about the way in which people subject to legal procedures should be treated. . . . [T]he study is provocative and raises an issue of real importance.""---Roger Hood, Times Literary Supplement
Tom R. Tyler is University Professor at New York University, teaching in the Psychology Department and the Law School. He studies the exercise of authority in groups, organizations, and societies. His many books include The Social Psychology of Procedural Justice, Social Justice in a Diverse Society, Cooperation in Groups, and Trust in the Law.
