Strong secular institutions raise trust and cooperation for believers and nonbelievers alike

Evidence

Moreover, there is another, secular route toward nice behavior: effective institutions that encourage cooperation and high levels of trust. Atheists as well as theists who are socialized in such secular societies have powerful incentives to be prosocial that are not immediately motivated by religion. Where there are strong institutions that govern public life—that is, where people are reassured that contracts are enforced, competition is fair, and cheaters will be punished—levels of trust and cooperation are high for everyone, believers and nonbelievers alike. And it appears that believers who do live in such secular societies with strong rule of law (see chapter 5) are influenced by this fact, and for them the idea that religion is necessary for morality is not as compelling. As a result, they are not as driven to distrust atheists. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 250

Categorization

• XREF: Directly relevant to the analytical bridge: this is the institutional-economics counterpart to Norenzayan’s religious Big God mechanism — strong rule of law substitutes for supernatural watchers, echoing the reader’s integration project. — connects to: Democratization succeeds mainly where Christian and Western influence is strong.; Religious membership correlates with well-being, health, trust, and cooperation.