How Laws Change Us | Regina Tassi | TEDxFrancisHollandSchoolSloaneSquare

Core Argument - Laws have the power to reshape society and individual behavior, influencing beliefs, expectations, and unconscious actions [16][17] - The effectiveness of a law hinges on whether people internalize its underlying values, shifting from external compliance to genuine belief [5] - Laws are not static but evolve, sometimes leading cultural change and sometimes lagging behind [8][16] Behavioral Economics & The Peltzman Effect - The Peltzman effect suggests that mandated safety measures can lead to increased risk-taking behavior [10] - Introducing safety laws without addressing underlying motivations can lead to unintended consequences, such as reckless driving after seat belt laws or shifting to lower quality cigarettes after cigarette taxes [13][14] - If people don't internalize the value behind the law, they may comply technically but rebel in spirit [13] Cultural Change & Legal Precedence - Legal precedents are powerful, but laws must adapt to societal shifts [8] - Laws can drive cultural change, as seen with the legalization of same-sex marriage in the UK, where acceptance increased significantly after the Marriage Act of 2013 [7] - The introduction of new laws has the capacity to change society [9]