The Deterrent Effect of the Death Penalty? Evidence from British Commutations During World War I

Abstract

During World War I, the British military condemned over 3,000 soldiers to death, but only executed 12% of them; the others received commuted sentences, unbeknownst to soldiers at the time. I verify that variation in commutations and executions is consistent with a random process. Using this result, I identify the effect of executions on subsequent desertions. There is limited evidence that executing deserters deterred absences, while executing Irish soldiers, regardless of the crime, spurred absences, particularly Irish absences. I present a model where perceived legitimacy of authority affects why people obey the law.

Martial races as clubs? The institutional logic of the martial race system of British India

“…Armies have found various means of resolving this dilemma throughout history. Harsh discipline, including the death penalty for desertion or cowardice, transforms the structure of the soldier-agents' payoffs (Chen, 2017). Ideological appeals, such as propaganda and indoctrination, can serve the same purpose (Barber and Miller, 2019).…”

Priming Ideology? Why Presidential Elections Affect U.S. Judges

“…In this context, to identify the consequentialist motivations, one would have to hold fix the judges' deontological motivations for different reasonings, which should be held fixed. 42 The concern is that the real and perceived influence of extrajudicial factors may erode court legitimacy and legal compliance (Bénabou and Tirole 2012) and lead to situations where the application of justice causes non-compliance to the law (Chen 2013).…”