'One Muslim is Enough!' Evidence from a Field Experiment in France

Abstract

Anti-Muslim prejudice is widespread in Western countries. Yet, Muslims are expected to constitute a growing share of the total population in these countries over the next decades. This paper predicts that this demographic trend, other factors held constant, will increase anti-Muslim prejudice. Relying on experimental games and a formal model, we show that the generosity of rooted French toward Muslims is significantly decreased with the increase of Muslims in their midst, and demonstrate that these results are driven by the activation of rooted French taste-based discrimination against Muslims when Muslim numbers increase. Our findings call for solutions to anti-Muslim prejudice in the West.

Keywords: Discrimination, Islam, France, Group salience, Experimental economics, Economic theory, Group threat theory, Intergroup contact theory

JEL Classification: A12, C90, D03, J15, J71, Z12