Dasandi, Niheer; Mitchell, Neil J; (2026) Norms, National Identity, and Public Support for Prosecuting Soldiers who Deliberately Kill Civilians. Journal of Peace Research (In press).

Text Dasandi and Mitchell JPR-24-0469.R3_Proof_hi.pdf - Accepted Version Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 10 June 2026. Download (1MB)

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests public support for holding soldiers accountable for war crimes and human rights violations is conditional on the national identity of the soldier. We investigate how information about the status and application of humanitarian and human rights norms, in ways that draw on national identity, might reduce bias in prosecuting soldiers who kill civilians. Using survey experiments in the US and UK, we find that among our four norm-reinforcing information treatments, only references to principled conduct by close and like-minded allies can significantly increase public willingness to prosecute and uphold the rule of law in both countries, though this finding is highly dependent on the specific ally referenced. Depending on the context and application, highlighting national outgroup violations and potential hypocrisy by leveraging the timing of the survey to capture the abuse of Ukrainians by Russian soldiers, at least temporarily increased the willingness to prosecute in the US. Otherwise, leveraging pride in the military to reinforce norms, or informing the public about their government’s commitment to these norms does little to alter attitudes. While communicating norms in ways that have cultural and national salience has the potential to strengthen public commitment to accountability, where there are strong pre-existing partisan and national loyalties it is difficult to do so.

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