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Consequences of inconvenient information: evidence from sentencing disparities
Šoltés, Michal
Inconvenient information about the performance of public institutions may undermine public trust. In an experiment, I test how information about sentencing disparities among judges in the Czech Republic affects respondents’ perception of the judicial system. I find no effect on respondents’ declared institutional trust and willingness to rely on the formal judicial system. Instead, the information marginally increased respondents’ policy involvement: They became more likely to: (i) sign a petition that invites politicians to address the underlying issue, and (ii) consider fairness of the judicial system a more important policy issue. The increased interest in the petition was driven by mothers, who are arguably more sensitive to the particular treatment information in the presented case of a failure to pay alimony.
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Sentencing decisions around quantity thresholds: theory and experiment
Drápal, Jakub ; Šoltés, Michal
We study the implications of the structure of criminal codes on sentencing decisions. To limit sentencing disparities, criminal codes typically divide offenses into subsections with specific sentencing ranges. The classification into corresponding subsections often depends on exceeding a given quantity threshold, such as drug amount. We study the consequences of these quantity thresholds on sentencing decisions and argue that the threshold effect can be decomposed into two opposing mechanisms: the severity mechanism and the reference one. An experiment with Czech prosecutors shows that thresholds drive substantial increases in sentences, leading to sentencing disparities. We further introduce empirical measures of (in)justice and quantify the consequences of quantity thresholds on the probability of imposing a just sentence.
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Essays in Applied Economics
Šoltés, Michal ; Matějka, Filip (advisor) ; Drago, Francesco Drago (referee) ; Engel, Christoph (referee)
In the first chapter, we study the role of political parties in the selection of candidates in Czech municipal elections. Using over 20,000 electoral slates, we document that political parties rank candidates on the slates according to their valence and intra-party value. Valence, measured by education level, captures the public value of the candidates, while intra-party value, measured by political donations and membership, represents the value of the candidate to the party. The patterns we observe are consistent with market mechanisms between candidates and party leaders where the party leaders benefit from the valence and intra-party value of candidates and offer slate positions (i.e. the probability of winning a mandate) in exchange. We show that candidates with high valence and those who possess more intra-party value are placed in better ranked positions, despite the fact that candidates with more intra-party value, conditional on observables, tend to receive relatively fewer votes than candidates with low intra-party value. We also show that as a party expects to hold more council seats, the share of their candidates with higher intra-party value increases. In the second chapter, we study the implications of a structure of the criminal justice system on sentencing decisions. To limit...
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Lottery Premium in Video Gaming Environment
Karhánek, Tomáš ; Šoltés, Michal (advisor) ; Pertold-Gebicka, Barbara (referee)
Gambling, as well as many traditionally physical forms of entertainment, has become popular in a digital form. In the recent years it has found its way to video games. In the environment the gambling element is represented by so called loot box, virtual vessel containing random digital rewards that are in most cases purchasable strictly for real world currency. The writer hypothesizes an existence of a variable, lottery premium, that can help him well explain the decision making process of gambling participants in this environment. The author collects data from the loot box buyers to help him determine the other significant factors influencing the amount of money spent on loot boxes. Using OLS regression he estimates the size and direction of effects of mentioned variables as well as their significance. The lottery premium variable is determined as a significant in terms of the amount spent. Therefore, the author performs a second OLS regression to determine factors influencing size of the lottery premium. The significant variables influencing the amount spent are: age, participation in risk involving activities, searching for the odds of the loot boxes, amount of friends that purchase loot boxes as well, the value of the most expensive item ever received from the loot box, disposable income and...
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How should the government’s crisis measures be communicated? Through frequent repetition
Korbel, Václav ; Novák, Vladimír ; Šoltés, Michal ; Tóth, L.
About three weeks after the first case of Covid-19 infection in the Czech Republic was confirmed, i.e. on 20th - 21st March, we carried out a survey to find out how the way government measures are communicated affects residents’ willingness to abide by them. Our main findings were published in IDEA anti COVID-19 study # 7. We supplemented our questionnaire with an experiment in which we provided five different pieces of information\nabout the government measures to five randomly selected groups of people. This study focuses on presenting the results of that experiment.
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Sorting of candidates: evidence from 20,000 electoral ballots
Svitáková, Klára ; Šoltés, Michal
Using over 20,000 electoral ballots from proportional representation elections, we document that political parties systematically sort candidates on the ballots according to their valence and intra party value. Valence, measured by education level, captures the public value of the candidates, while intra party value, measured by political donations and membership, represents the value of the candidate to the party. The patterns we observe are consistent with market mechanisms between candidates and party leaders where the party leaders benefit from the valence and intra party value of candidates and offer ballot positions (i.e. the probability of winning a seat) in exchange. We show that candidates with high valence and those who possess more intra party value are placed in higher level positions, despite the fact that candidates with more intra party value tend to receive relatively fewer votes than their counterparts with the same characteristics in the same position on the ballot. We also show that as a party expects to hold more council seats and thus has more bargaining power over candidates, the share of their candidates with higher intra party value increases. Overall, we provide strong evidence that political parties skew political representation based on a quid pro quo relationship with the candidates.
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Households’ attitudes to infection and to the government measures: the latest survey data
Korbel, Václav ; Novák, Vladimír ; Šoltés, Michal ; Tóth, L.
This study presents Czech people’s real views about the Covid-19 pandemic from a survey carried out on a representative sample of internet users around the 20th March 2020. It thus presents very up-to-date information about people’s attitudes to the ongoing infection and, moreover, to the measures imposed by the government. The findings provide new and important information to be taken into account when planning further measures. For example, if people had not considered the restrictions on free movement or the requirement to wear face masks as appropriate and had not begun implementing them voluntarily, the relevant authorities would have had to enforce these measures. More than half the population is concerned that they will catch the coronavirus. People have substantial confidence in the ability of the government measures to successfully overcome the current situation. The majority of people, around 75 %, declare themselves willing to limit their outdoor movements to essential activities and otherwise stay at home. Even so, almost 53 % of respondents go out every day. If it were to be necessary, many people are prepared to refrain from outdoor and social activities even for months. People believe that there is a moderately high chance of meeting an infected person on the street. Wearing face masks became a matter of course very quickly. 92 % of people only leave their homes with a face mask on, the majority agree that people without face masks should not be allowed into public areas, if they meet someone without a face mask, 42 % of respondents are prepared to tell the person concerned that they should wear a mask and a quarter would express their disapproval by frowning at that person.5 Another study will follow soon after this one, which reveals how reminders about government orders and recommendations (to wear face masks and practice social distancing) affect people’s willingness to abide by them and how the way the measures are communicated affects that willingness. Keep an eye out for more IDEA studies.
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