David Hugh Jones
University of Essex
We study the relationship between coercive capacity in groups and group homogeneity.
Enforcement of cooperation in groups can leverage on the strength of groups against
individuals, because groups can inflict large costs on individuals at little cost to themselves,
or even at a gain. Group punishment, however, also creates temptation for groups to abuse
individuals. This temptation can be kept in check if collective coercion requires coordination
across punishers and if individuals are indistinguishable with respect to their observable
characteristics other than their actions. We develop a theoretical framework that delivers the
above prediction and present experimental evidence.