Social Dynamics and the Enforcement of Minority Protection Norms

Abstract

Minority-protection laws often present variations in the level of protection over time. We show how these changes may be the result of the dynamic interaction between strong and weak social groups. We assume that interaction occurs in a democratic environment, where representative institutions design norms according to the perceived voters' support. The enforcement of minority protection laws is strong when social protest is high. Interestingly, when non protesters are able to reap higher benefits from protest than protesters themselves, an initial increase in minority protection immediately reduces the level of social unrest, giving rise to fluctuations, as protest starts again when discrimination is back to high levels.

Keywords: Minority protection, Harassment, Affirmative Action, Law enforcement, Evolutionary dynamics, Legal evolution

JEL Classification: K10, K42, D70, B52, Z13