Social control and the dispersion of beliefs. Evidence from cross-country data and german reunification

We study how political regimes affect the dispersion of attitudes within societies. We develop a framework in which authoritarian regimes, through stronger social control and norm enforcement, compress heterogeneity in beliefs, whereas democratic regimes allow greater diversity. Using cross-country survey data, we find positive associations between democracy and attitudinal dispersion across several domains. To provide more diagnostic evidence, we examine differences between former East and West German residents immediately after reunification. Former East German residents exhibit lower attitudinal dispersion in domains plausibly subject to social control, with no comparable difference for private preferences. These findings highlight the role of political regimes in shaping the distribution of beliefs through behavioral channels such as conformity pressures and socialization.